Key facts
- The Sham supermarket in south Belfast was destroyed by fire during riots on Tuesday evening.
- Managers Mohammed and Sultan, who are Syrian refugees, stated they are leaving the area.
- This is the second time the supermarket has been destroyed by targeted attacks in two years.
- The violence is described as racist attacks by gangs targeting minority ethnic people and businesses.
- The attacks occurred following a knife incident on Monday and were anticipated by the supermarket managers.
- The area is a staunchly loyalist Protestant neighborhood with a history of paramilitary presence.
The Sham supermarket on Donegall Road in south Belfast has been destroyed by fire during riots, forcing its Syrian managers, Mohammed and Sultan, to decide to leave the area. This marks the second time in two years the business has been targeted by gangs of masked men. Mohammed, who fled Syria in 2014 and became a British citizen in 2015, stated they knew violence was coming after a knife attack on Monday. Despite closing the market out of respect for the victim, the supermarket was torched on Tuesday evening.
The destruction of the supermarket, which had been rebuilt after a similar attack in August 2024, has left its owners devastated. The area, a staunchly loyalist Protestant heartland, displays murals and flags associated with loyalist paramilitary groups. While some residents condemn the riots, others express anti-migrant sentiments, using excuses like drug dealing to justify the harassment. Local community leaders and human rights advocates note the historical segregation of Belfast and the recent shift in targeted violence towards Black and brown residents.
Mohammed and Sultan, having experienced war in Syria, found a sense of happiness and opportunity in Belfast, initially seeing potential in the lack of Arabic businesses and cheap rent. However, the escalating racist violence has made their continued presence untenable, echoing past fears of conflict for some long-term residents.