The GoFundMe for businesses damaged during the violence and disorder in Belfast on Saturday, August 3 has surpassed £105k as of Monday night.
Initially intended to benefit the Sahara Shisha Cafe on Botanic Ave in Belfast, the GoFundMe will now go to more businesses that were damaged during Saturday's violence.
“We're absolutely overwhelmed and in awe at everyone's gratitude during these dark times,” organizer Stephen Montgomery wrote in an update on the fundraising page on Monday.
“I just wanted to jump on to make you aware that because of how much that's been donated we're now in the position to incorporate other businesses who have been affected.
“We will update you as these businesses are taken on board, so please keep an eye out.”
Montgomery added: “Once again I just want to thank you all, your gratitude does not go unnoticed.”
As well as donations, the GoFundMe page has drawn a number of comments in support of the businesses and in condemnation of the violence.
"The TRUE spirit of Belfast is unity in the face of ignorance and hate," one donor wrote.
"These hateful actions of the uneducated herd will never stop us from rebuilding again. Never ever give up. The majority of our community stand with you," wrote another.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Sunday that a protest involving approximately 600 people had formed in the City Hall area on Saturday morning, August 3.
After a period of time and attempts to march to the Belfast Islamic Centre, which was prevented by police, some of those at the protest dispersed into the Botanic Avenue, University Street, Lower Ormeau, Holyland, and Donegall Road areas where sporadic violence developed for a period.
Throughout the course of the evening, further disorder was reported in the Sandy Row area where a business premises was also set on fire.
A number of nearby roads were closed by police to ensure the safety of the public and local residents, and to enable officers to deal with the situation and disorder safely. All roads were subsequently reopened.
The PSNI subsequently announced on Monday that four men had been charged in connection to the violence and disorder.
BBC reports that the four who were charged are Michael John Coulter, from York Park in Belfast, Gary Creighton, from Inishowen Drive in Belfast, Simeon Eric McCullough, from Schomberg Drive in Belfast, and Bernard Lavery, from Farnham Street in Belfast.
All four men applied for bail but Judge Liam McStay refused.
“The events at the weekend were absolutely disgraceful: a concerted and deliberate attempt to undermine public order and to then domineer the community, and there were racist elements to it," the judge said in court, according to the PA.
He added: “Anybody who engages in this type of behaviour is going to find themselves in great difficulty in achieving bail.”
According to the Belfast Telegraph, windows were smashed and furniture was broken at the Sahara Shisha Cafe on Botanic Ave on Saturday.
Video circulated online of the attack.
The cafe's owner Rahmi, who has been in Belfast for 35 years, told The Belfast Telegraph that he did not "know how to explain" what happened to his children.
Racist thugs attacking businesses in Botanic today. Where were the @PSNIBelfast ? This is an absolute disgrace. pic.twitter.com/BebZSoeir5
— Gráinne Holland (@grainneholland) August 3, 2024
Sahara Shisha Cafe was able to reopen after the damage, but other businesses weren't as lucky.
Bashir, the owner of Sham Supermarket which was torched on Saturday, told the Belfast Telegraph he has had trouble before in the area.
He said there is now "nothing left" of his supermarket on the Donegall Road, "some ashes only."
Bashir was also critical of the police response: "What kind of police let the people burn everything down?"
"Nothing left, Just ashes" - Supermarket owner Bashir tells how his shop was destroyed last night as rioting broke out in Sandy Row.
Cars were burnt and businesses torched when an anti-immigration protest turned to chaos. @BelTel https://t.co/LCvQSsRX3D pic.twitter.com/684QLKjvHI
— Kevin Scott (@Kscott_94) August 4, 2024
Bash Cafe in South Belfast won't reopen after it was also set on fire during Saturday's violence.
The cafe's owner Mohammad Idris, who has lived in Belfast for more than 20 years, told BBC Northern Ireland: "We have to make our life here, but now all our friends, everyone is asking 'where do we go now?'
"We come from different countries - there are wars in our countries - what do we do now?"
Mohammed Idris, whose south Belfast cafe was set alight during violent protests at the weekend, says he will not reopen. Read more here: https://t.co/ejOYeqy33H pic.twitter.com/KpDRojQUZO
— BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) August 5, 2024
At a special meeting on Monday evening, Belfast City Council passed a motion in support of the people and businesses affected by violence during protests in the city on Saturday.
It was also agreed that council officers would submit a report to a future special meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, as soon as possible, “to establish a programme of financial assistance for the business owners who were impacted by racist criminal attacks."
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Assembly, which is on recess until September, is being recalled this Thursday to debate a motion in reaction to Saturday's disorder.
While Montgomery's GoFundMe grew and devastated business owners pondered what's next, disorder again unfolded in Belfast on Monday night.
"Police are dealing with ongoing disorder in the Donegall Road area of south Belfast tonight," the PSNI said on Monday evening.
"The public should avoid the Donegall Road and Sandy Row areas."
According to RTÉ News, a number of police officers were attacked as rioters again attempted to set fire to a shop owned by a foreign national in south Belfast.
A large number of PSNI officers in riot gear and armored Land Rovers were deployed to the area.
RTÉ News reported that rioters attacked a supermarket in the loyalist Sandy Row area that was set on fire on Saturday night. The shop, which is on the ground floor of a building with residential apartments, was again set on fire but the flames were extinguished by police officers.
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