Health Minister Mike Nesbitt thanked Fire and Ambulance crews for their bravery and hard work during Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s public disorder. Crews dealt with multiple incidents over the course of the evening and into the night during the violence and disorder on streets across Northern Ireland.
Commenting on the violence that swept through Belfast in the wake of the brutal stabbing of Stephen Ogilvie, the deputy leader of the Green Party, Rachel Millward, said:
“Last night we saw a wave of appalling violence sweep across Belfast, leaving people homeless as their homes were burned, and communities terrified as migrants and people of colour were made targets by far right thugs.
“Racist violence is becoming more and more common on our streets. This is a rising threat and cannot be ignored. Decades of neglect of our communities have left people angry and frustrated – and callous politicians have taken advantage of deep-seated frustrations to point the finger of blame at migrants.
“Indeed, in the midst of this unrest, Reform’s Zia Yusuf tweeted ‘some cultures are MUCH better than others.’ He has also disgracefully called for a ban on visas for anyone coming from Sudan – a country where there is currently an ongoing genocide.
“Meanwhile tech billionaire Elon Musk is using his support for extreme right wing party Restore to whip up hatred among communities here in the UK. It’s a terrifying situation.
“Sadly, for too long, instead of taking on these dangerous lies, those in power have implicitly backed them. From dogwhistle speeches echoing racists like Enoch Powell to the performative cruelty of stripping rights away from migrants who have made this county their home – this government has failed to stand up to the insidious, racist poison injected into the political bloodstream by parties of the far right.
“These horrific scenes must be a wake-up call. Instead of using division to further political aims, politicians of all stripes have a responsibility to do everything we can to bring communities together. We must turn the page today – otherwise we will only see the violence spread.”
Dear Yvette and Sadiq,
On 14 June, the ‘Great Israeli Real Estate’ event is due to come to London to auction stolen Palestinian land to the highest bidder. The event proudly promotes the sale of land in settlements like ‘Gush Etzion’ in the occupied West Bank, marked as illegal under international law. [1]
Theresa May’s Conservative government in 2016 acknowledged the illegality of the very same settlement under international law and urged the Israeli government to ‘reverse its policy’ towards illegal settlements. [2] The event’s website explicitly indicates that it is collaborating with Bank Leumi, an Israeli bank which has been identified by the UN for facilitating the expansion of illegal settlements by routinely providing loans to construction projects in the occupied West Bank. [3]
It’s obscene that the UK will be playing host to an event openly advertising the sale of land in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, especially while horrific settler violence against Palestinians is on the rise.
Amnesty International UK has condemned the event as ‘apartheid and annexation with a sales pitch’ and called on the government to ‘take immediate action to prevent it from going ahead’.
Against the backdrop of increased state-backed settler violence, there is no justification for the UK government to allow events that encourage the expansion of settlements. The event also promotes the sale of land throughout historic Palestine, in cities and towns built on the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. For over 100 years, such sales have contributed to the fragmentation and dispossession of the Palestinian people.
Many Londoners are rightfully concerned that an event promoting land confiscation and the destruction of homes is set to take place in our city. Sadiq, you have previously stood with campaigners and Londoners of conscience in condemning the DSEI arms fair, and I welcomed your leadership on that issue.[4] I ask that you now take the same principled stance against this proposed land sale, which would be a stain on our city if allowed to proceed.
Yvette, your government has a moral and legal responsibility to take action against illegal settlements. This must include banning the import of settlement goods and imposing further sanctions on all Israeli Government officials responsible for authorising illegal settlements. Empty condemnation is not enough – we need to see action.
Yours Sincerely,
Zack Polanski
Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
[1] https://israelevent2026.com/
[2] https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2016-02-23/28111
[3] https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/29/bankrolling-abuse/israeli-banks-west-bank-settlements
[4] https://www.itv.com/news/london/2025-09-02/mayor-appalled-as-london-is-used-as-marketplace-for-weapon-traders
The latest Northern Ireland Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) statistics were released this morning by NISRA. The bulletin, including interactive charts, can be accessed on the NISRA website.
Education Minister Paul Givan has today launched a public consultation on a new draft policy setting out a strategic direction for youth services for children and young-people aged 4 to 25.