Racial attacks escalate in North

Weekend arson attacks which badly damaged two homes were the
latest in a string of racially motivated attacks by loyalist
paramilitaries.

The houses in south Belfast were set alight at around 3am
yesterday. It is understood that the houses are normally
occupied by Romanian and Pakistani families, although both
were away for the holidays when the attacks took place.

Last weekend two Chinese families and one of African descent,
were attacked by a gang in the Donegall Road area. Two Chinese
women who were attacked were pregnant and one was expected to
give birth on Christmas Day.

A man who was with them also had his nose broken when a brick
was smashed into his face. Missiles were fired through the
windows of two other houses in the area.

All three families, some with young children, fled their homes
following the attacks.

The majority of racially motivated attacks have taken place
this year in the Mid-Ulster area, where local unionist
politicians organised opposition to the construction of a
mosque.

The organisation behind racist incidents in the area was the
White National Party, a breakaway faction of the neo-nazi
British National Party.

It recently emerged that the BNP is planning its first
electoral assault in the Six Counties. At least five
candidates will run in the North's next local government
elections.

BNP leader Nick Griffin has claimed his party has attracted
significant support among the PSNI police and RIR soldiers in
the North.