Justice Minister says vigilantes targeting minorities 'will be pursued and brought before courts'

Naomi Long says that those behind the videos “will be pursued and brought before the courts” – as the PSNI says it “does not tolerate any type of vigilante activity” and warned people against taking the law into their own hands.

In one clip, a Syrian man is approached in the middle of the night in Ormeau Park in south Belfast and asked why he is “hanging about this park”. The man is told to “stand and speak” before being asked “have you got any documentations” and told to prove his identity. The man was also asked to produce his phone and show pictures on it, before being told to go home.

In other videos, a group enter a home in south Belfast. The man recording the video says the individual they accosted in the park would be better staying off the streets, as there are “teams of people walking around these streets now”.

The men also approach a man in Belfast City Centre and tell him “I don’t want to catch you down near any of them parks again. Do you hear me? Because you’re not allowed to be hanging around our parks with our kids”.

He tells the man he’s not welcome in East Belfast, saying “be very thankful it was us dealing with it and not somebody else”.

The justice minister told the News Letter: “I have always been very clear, there is absolutely no place for hate in whatever form it takes and towards whichever part of our society.

“Such threatening and violent behaviour will not be tolerated and those carrying out such threats will be pursued and brought before the courts.

“The Department of Justice, the criminal justice system or legislation alone cannot solve the underlying issues which drive this behaviour. It is both a societal and community problem and I will continue to work with Executive colleagues to tackle the issues which allow hate and intolerance to occur in the first place.”

The PSNI said they are “aware of a number of videos circulating on social media”.