Nationalists accused of 'gaslighting the community' over Shankill arson attack on Indian-owned former gospel hall
Nationalist MLAs have been accused of trying to “gaslight” the Shankill community over Saturday’s arson attack on an Indian-owned business.
The deliberate fire, which police believe to be racially motivated, gutted a former gospel hall that was being converted into an Indian supermarket.
The incident was raised in Stormont this afternoon, which saw People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll accuse a TUV member of Belfast Council, Ron McDowell, of spreading a racist conspiracy theory before the business was attacked.
That saw TUV MLA Timothy Gaston hit back, accusing Mr Carroll and other nationalist MLAs of trying to gaslight people who live in the Shankill area.
“Unlike Mr Carroll, Ron works for the people of the Shankill Road every day,” he said, “not just when it’s politically convenient to put the boot into the local community.
“The message from the Shankill Road today is that many local people are astonished that Gerry Carroll, [Sinn Fein MP] Paul Maskey and others who have rushed out to comment on this issue even knew that the Shankill Road existed.
“At no stage have they sought to be part of the solution, yet now that something has gone wrong they are the first in line to offer criticism. If [MLAs] are genuinely concerned about the future of these buildings and this community, then they should not wait until there’s a crisis before taking an interest.”
Stating that he utterly condemned the arson attack, he added: “Those rushing out to gaslight those of the Shankill are not showing leadership and it does nothing to ease community tensions.”
Meanwhile UUP leader Jon Burrows hit out at the perpetrators of the attack, branding them “cowards and gangsters”.
“The gentleman who is trying to build a business, create jobs, and provide a service is the polar opposite of those who whipped up hysteria and attacked his shop,” he said. “They are not patriots and they do not have legitimate concerns. They are cowards. If they are involved in paramilitaries, they are not loyalists, because they are loyal to no one but themselves; they are gangsters.
“Those who committed this act, and those who incited it, are quite literally the scum of the Earth. I would doubt they have done a day's work in their lives. When they are arrested and brought before the court, we will hear the usual sob story, and likely receive too much of a slap on the wrist. But I want to make it very clear – the Indian community, and all other communities in this society, live under one rule of law. They deserve as much protection as anyone else.
“To the people who did this, if you are listening, you are vile, contemptible people. You are the opposite of loyalists, you are the opposite of patriots, you are the scum of the Earth.
“I wish that family all the very best. They are very welcome in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to meeting them.”
The PSNI has stated they will provide the business owner and his family with “an enhanced level of supervision, investigation and support”, but reinforced that hate incidents are “a wider societal issue which cannot be resolved by policing alone”.