Ards mosque community 'nervous' after attack
The founder of an Islamic centre in Newtownards has said an attack has left his community nervous, but added they will not leave the town.
A petrol bomb was thrown towards the centre on Greenwell Street on Saturday morning, while graffiti was written on the wall.
It is one of a number of racially-motivated hate crimes being investigated by police across Northern Ireland over the past week.
Abdul Rob said four generations of his family have used the centre.
Cars were also set alight in Tavanagh Street and Sandhurst Gardens in Belfast in separate attacks.
It follows a week of sporadic disorder which saw rioters attack police at various sites in Belfast and several members of the public reported they had been assaulted.
Thirty-four people have been arrested.
On Friday night, the rear door of a restaurant on Ormeau Road was also kicked and racial slurs shouted to the workers inside.
Mosque attack 'beneath contempt'
Speaking to BBC News NI on Saturday, Abdul Rob said his community is "not going to leave".
"This is our country, we’re going to stay there, why are we going to go," he said.
SDLP MP Claire Hanna said an attack on a place of worship is "beneath and below contempt" and that it would "not be tolerated".
Speaking at the United Against Racism rally in Belfast, she added she hopes those responsible feel "the full force of the law".
Sinn Féin assembly member Deirdre Hargey described the attack on the mosque as "disheartening".
"We need to show that if they carry out these actions then we will go after them," she continued.
A statement from the Islamic Centres of Northern Ireland condemned the "mindless Islamophobic and hate attack" on the Newtownards mosque on Saturday.
"We know that those perpetrators represent only a small minority of individuals with a far right agenda which is detrimental to the prosperity of Northern Ireland," it added.
The statement also thanked the community for the "overwhelming support" members have received and praised those who turned out to anti-racism rallies held in Belfast and Londonderry over recent days.
Dozens of arrests
Detectives investigating recent disorder in Belfast made further arrests on Saturday.
A 26-year-old man was arrested in south Belfast on suspicion of a number of offences including riot and possession of an offensive weapon.
Police arrested a 58-year-old man in north Belfast on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting riot.
A 30-year-old man was also arrested in Bangor on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting riot.
All three remain in police custody this afternoon.
A 55-year-old man arrested on Friday in Belfast on suspicion of publishing written material intended to stir up hatred, has been released on bail to allow for further enquiries.
A 37-year-old man arrested in Portrush on suspicion of intentionally encouraging riot has been released following questioning.
A 48-year-old man arrested in Belfast on Saturday on suspicion of intentionally encouraging riot has been released following questioning.
Two 14-year-old boys have been also been charged in Londonderry.
This comes after number of petrol bombs were found by police in the vicinity of Spencer Road in Derry.
To date, a total of 34 people have been arrested, 25 of whom have been charged.
Three have been released on bail to allow for further enquiries, three have been released unconditionally following questioning and three remain in custody.
Other incidents
A number of anti-racist rallies have been held following days of sporadic disorder.
One man was seriously injured when attackers stamped on his head during an assault in the Donegall Road/Oban Street area on Monday night.
A number of family homes and businesses were damaged.
These including an estate agency on Woodvale Road which was rammed by a gang in a hijacked car.
People from ethnic minorities who have made Northern Ireland their home have spoken out about their fear of being targeted during the violence.
A trustee of the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association (BMCA) said on Friday that his own family had not left the house for a week.
In anticipation of the possibility of further disorder this weekend, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) cancelled leave and asked officers to work on rest days.
The PSNI is also receiving support from Police Scotland which is to send 120 officers to Belfast to help quell the threat of violence.
