Belfast City Council is failing businesses destroyed in racist attacks
A timeline chronicling racist attacks on businesses in Belfast and the ongoing failure of the City Council to support victims.
In early August 2024 Black and Minority Ethnic owned businesses were targeted in a cluster of racist attacks following far-right protests in the City Centre.
Two businesses, Sham Supermarket and Bash Café were completely destroyed.
Belfast City Council immediately passed a motion of support, including a ‘programme of financial assistance’ for business owners impacted by racist criminal attacks.
Members of the public immediately and generously raise over £140,000 to support affected businesses, which is distributed by the Forward South Partnership and enables less affected business to make repairs and worse affected businesses to pay off debts.
The Council Committee with delegated responsibility for the programme of support takes over 9 months to approve an offer of financial assistance, although in kind support is provided.
On 23rd May 2025, despite promises of financial assistance and losses running into hundreds of thousands of pounds, the businesses are offered £4,000 by Belfast City Council.
TIMELINE
3rd August 2024
Violent far-right and racist protestors leave Belfast City Centre and head south, selectively and purposefully attacking Black owned businesses in the City Centre. Business owners report that rioters go unchallenged by the PSNI.
Sham Supermarket on the crossroads of Sandy Row and Donegall Road is burnt out, causing in excess of £250,000 damage. It is the third attack on the shop in 4 years, leading to a refusal of insurance companies to cover the business.
A gang of five masked men attempt to stab Bashir, a partner in Sham Supermarket. On the same day, the premises of Mohammed Idris at Bash Café are destroyed.
It is the second time in a year Mohammed’s business has been burnt out. In 2023, his previous shop Bash Technology, based on Sandy Row is destroyed after a series of low level, cumulative attacks. Local representatives tell him “it might be children because there is no school going on.” He does not receive Criminal Damage Compensation due to a loophole in the law, requiring an attack to be perpetrated by more than two people.
5th August 2024
An extraordinary meeting of Belfast City Council is called in response to the violence. Bashir and Abdelkader, business partners at Sham Supermarket, make a deputation to the Council.
Ahead of the meeting, The Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray tells The Newsletter:
“As Lord Mayor, I’m convening a group of relevant officers, parties, businesses and community representatives to discuss support for businesses and measures to take to improve good relations in the city.”
In response to a motion proposed by Councillor Séamus de Faoite (SDLP) and Councillor Anthony Flynn (Green), Councillor Ciaran Beattie of SF brings an amendment.
The whole Council passes the following motion:
“This council condemns the violent destruction and racist intimidation across the city, caused by far-right agitators on the streets of Belfast over the weekend. We stand in solidarity with those in our minority ethnic communities across the city, who own and run businesses, contribute to our culture and identity in Belfast.
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”.
Responsibility for developing the package of support is delegated to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. This Council Committee is ‘responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Council through the development of its corporate plan and other key corporate and cross cutting strategies and policies. It will also ensure effective use of resources and value for money for ratepayers.’
In the week following the attack, the people of Belfast crowdfund over £140,000 to support businesses affected by violence.
The charitable donations are distributed to impacted victims by Forward South Partnership, with support provided by Belfast City Council officers to prepare the legal agreements between the fundraiser, the organisations and Forward South [note from Shared City Partnership Workshop Update 28th August 2024].
The Shared City Partnership (SCP), a working group of SPRC and other agencies meet on Monday 5th August (see Any Other Business). The partnership speaks of ‘tangible assistance’ it can provide.
[Please note the minutes of this meeting are wrongly dated; they refer to Monday 8th August. 8th August was a Thursday]
They agree to hold an SCP workshop as soon as possible to consider what ‘practical and proactive steps the SCP could take to assist with rebuilding damaged relationships and businesses throughout the city.’
7th August 2024
A meeting of affected business owners, Councillors and South Belfast MLAs takes place with Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for NI. Verbal offers of financial support to businesses are repeated.
In attendance are:
John Walsh, Chief Executive, Belfast City Council
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray (Alliance)
Speaker of the NI Assembly, Edwin Poots MLA (DUP)
Kate Nicholl, MLA (Alliance)
Paula Bradshaw, MLA (Alliance)
Deirdre Hargey, MLA (Sinn Féin)
Clare Hanna, MP (SDLP)
Mohammed Arshed Belfast Islamic Centre
Helen Crickard, Forward South Partnership
Representatives of affected businesses: Sham Supermarket, Sahara Shisha Cafe, Tzatziki Restaurant, Top Fade Barbers, Bash Café.
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Labour)
Fleur Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Labour)
Mr Benn said he had been “deeply shocked and angered” after hearing from business owners who had been targeted by “rampaging disorder” following anti-immigration protests.
12th August 2024
The Shared City Partnership holds its workshop.
[PPR has requested of the minutes and attendance of the 12th August workshop meeting, which is not publicly available online.]
A tabulated summary document is made available after the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 16th August.
13th August 2024
Bashir and Abdelkader meet with Margie McKay, Enterprise and Business Growth Manager, Place and Economy Department, Belfast City Council. They report that Margie advises that the maximum amount that City Hall could award to the affected businesses is £25,000. She takes a detailed note of losses from Bashir and Abdelkader. In her document she notes that:
“Definitely do not want to stay in Donegal Road anymore - would like to rebuild the business. Would like safety in proximity to larger businesses.”
“Want to rebuild the shop again, ask is will the government pay for all of this to be rebuilt and allow the business to not pay rents or rates for at least two years to allow them to build their business again.”
She asks:
Q: “In the current situation what support do you think would be of most benefit to support the continuity of your business and alleviate/address the current challenges?”
A: “Funding to address the impacts identified, assistance with relocating to a permanent location and legal advice.”
Bashir and Abdelkader report that Margie McKay tells them that that the Council are “working on it.”
16th August 2024
A special meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is held. They consider a report which “provides an update on the ongoing work to support the recovery effort following the disorder within the city on 3rd August 2024, with a focus on the support for affected businesses”
The report is not publicly available and is withheld ‘by virtue of paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.’
The minutes of the meeting show that the Committee ‘noted work to support “recovery efforts”’ and ‘notes and endorses the proposed short-term approach to supporting the affected businesses.’
The Committee also noted that a ‘further report would be brought back to a future meeting to provide feedback on support provided and to consider ‘any potential additional supports – in conjunction with other departments and agencies.’
No ‘programme of financial assistance’ is published.
The issue is not included in SPRC agendas again until late October 2024.
21st August 2024
Representatives of Sham Supermarket meet with the Economic Development Officer and Enterprise and Business Growth Officer at Belfast City Council.
9th September 2024
The Shared City Partnership meets. It is attended by Councillors Duffy and McLaughlin [NB the minutes do not specify if I McLaughlin or R McLaughlin].
Although none of the officer reports to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee are made publicly available, the Shared City Partnership consider ‘an associated appendix which outlined the actions which had been agreed at a Partnership workshop which had taken place on 12th August in response to the race hate incidents at that time.’
This appendix, dated 28th August also appears to encompass actions agreed after the 12th August workshop as it references a “special SP&R committee on the 16th of August” which agreed that Council officers could:
provide support to the businesses in the form of free legal advice and guidance for businesses impacted by the attacks to navigate their insurance policies and process relevant claims.
As noted above, previous attacks had led to Sham Supermarket being denied insurance cover.
prepare legal agreements [to disburse publicly donated money] between the public fundraiser, the organisations and Forward South as the mechanism for dispersal.
liaise with Land and Property Services to put a hold on rates for two businesses that are unable to continue operating due to complete loss of premises.
Owners of both Sham Supermarket and Bash Café confirm they were offered rates relief from Land and Property Services at some point during this period.
explore other opportunities to support the businesses, including working on contacting DoJ to expediate [sic] their compensation claim scheme (currently estimated at a 1–2-year process).
Both Bash Café and Sham Supermarket were supported pro bono by a local civil society organisation to make their Criminal Damage Compensation Claims to the DoJ.
Officers are working with two of the businesses to explore opportunities to utilise our City & Regen matchmaking and Vacant to Vibrant schemes to relocate. Officers are continuing to work with the businesses to engage with our business support services, where appropriate, to access 1-1 mentoring and explore growth potential.
See below for details of meetings between business owners and various officers of the Council.
18th September 2024
The UK Government publishes its Community Recovery Fund. This allocates £600,000 to local areas affected by far-right and racist violence. The scheme excludes “Costs for which a claim can be made under personal, organisational or business insurance.”
Full details of Belfast City Council’s application to the scheme are available here.
19th September 2024
Following the meeting with Margie McKay, affected businesses meet with a solicitor regarding the actions of the PSNI. They hear nothing back after the initial meeting.
14th October 2024
Representatives of the affected businesses attend a meeting with the Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray, Margie McKay, Enterprise and Business Growth Manager and Leish Dolan, Good Relations Officer at Belfast City Council.
21st October 2024
First meeting between representatives of Sham Supermarket and Barry O’Neill, Belfast City Council’s Regeneration Project Officer about the Vacant to Vibrant scheme. While the support is welcomed, ultimately Sham’s preference towards new premises in safer areas close to other shops rules them out - they report because of restrictions on the scheme placing a new business close to a similar existing business.
Confirmation of this obtained through copies of the eligibility criteria of the Council’s Vacant to Vibrant Scheme, which sets out that they do not fund businesses which “could displace existing businesses nearby with same offer.” [Page 10 VtV Guidance Notes November 2024]
25th October 2024
The SPRC Committee includes the issue on their agenda. They are advised on this matter by Lisa Toland, Senior Manager, Economy, who takes them through a report by the Strategic Director, Place and Economy, Damien Martin, providing an “update on the support which had been provided to date for businesses by the riots on 3rd August and requesting the Committee to consider the next steps.”
The report is withheld by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.
The Committee:
agreed that officers should continue to engage with the individuals to help them re-establish or develop their business, including accessing all appropriate support mechanisms;
agreed that consideration be given to introducing additional security measures, such as CCTV, for those businesses; and
that a report be submitted to a future meeting regarding the possibility of providing bridging funding to support the businesses which had been affected.
[No such report has been found by PPR in the public domain. This may refer to the report presented to Council six months later in April 2025. Neither Sham Supermarket nor Bash Café are made aware of the content of the report referenced.]
21st November 2024
The Sandy Row area, where Sham Supermarket was located and where Bash Café’s sister shop ‘Bash Technology’ was burnt out in August 2023 comes into the spotlight as traders in the area report reduced footfall due to the construction work associated with Grand Central Station.
Councillors begin to discuss potential options for support for Sandy Row traders. Both Sham Supermarket and Bash Technology would have been eligible for such support, had they remained.
Councillor Tracy Kelly proposes a motion to the Standards and Business Committee, asking them to approve support for traders on Sandy Row, who report that the work to construct the new transport hub has affected their businesses.
The motion calls upon the Council to undertake a number of actions to explore how businesses can be supported in the Sandy Row area. The motion is referred to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.
Sandy Row businesses go on to make a deputation to the Council on 2nd December 2024.
22nd November 2024
Sham Supermarket looks for further information about progress towards a programme of financial assistance.
The SPRC meet the same day. They do not discuss the issue. They do discuss the Summer Community Diversionary Festival Programme Review, a programme of events initiated in 2023 designed to ‘direct young people away from antisocial and criminal behaviour’. They later allocate over £600,000 to the programme.
29th November 2024
Bashir speaks to Belfast Live expressing his frustrations with the speed at which the promised “programme of financial assistance” is being delivered by Belfast City Council.
2nd December 2024
A deputation of Sandy Row traders speak to the whole Council to request support.
4th December 2024
The City Growth and Regeneration Committee approves a motion to investigate rates relief for Sandy Row businesses affected by the construction of the transport hub.
9th January 2025
The full Council endorses the plan to offer support to Sandy Row businesses reporting a reduction in footfall.
5th February 2025
The City Growth and Regeneration Committee meets and discusses the Sandy Row Revitalisation Update. The Committee:
noted that the Department for Communities (DfC) was establishing a cross-departmental working group to bring forward collective actions to support businesses within the Sandy Row area;
noted and agreed the proposal for DfC to fund the Council to deliver a revitalisation scheme for the Sandy Row area;
agreed that the Council design and deliver a Small Business Grant Scheme Programme in line with the report, and in conjunction with additional business support delivered through the Go Succeed Programme and that, given the urgency in bringing the support package to the area, officers continued to design the Small Business Grant Scheme Programme in conjunction with local representatives and to open the scheme to businesses as soon as possible, with further details on the scheme to be brought back to a future meeting of the Committee; and
agreed to defer consideration in respect of a Member’s proposal for further engagement with businesses, to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, so that legal advice could be provided on the matters raised
16th February 2025
Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA (DUP) announces that he is bringing forward a “Revitalisation Scheme” to offer businesses on Sandy Row capital funding. The maximum funding available per business is £5000.
The Council agrees to administer the scheme.
18th February 2025
Sham Supermarket and the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA (DUP) are interviewed on BBC Good Morning Ulster.
Gordon Lyons notes that the ‘Sandy Row Revitalisation Scheme’ is not a compensation scheme. He says:
“In this instance it is obviously a responsibility of Belfast City Council and the promises that were made should be fulfilled. What we’re doing is something slightly different because of the issues they are facing there, because of the difficulties with the Boyne Bridge and everything that has gone on, I have decided to bring forward some work that would have been happening after expected public realm scheme works. It’s different between City Hall and the Department. I am doing what I can to help traders.”
“I am not providing compensation in this instance, this is a revitalisation project to try and help the wider area, deliver improved building frontages, carry out additional cleansing, promoting the area as a shopping destination. We’re trying to assist community driven areas to improve and sustain business. It is a different scheme. I am not trying to pass the buck here but there are responsibilities of City Hall and responsibilities that fall to ourselves.”
He is asked why Northern Ireland did not have a Riot Compensation Act as in England.
“My understanding, and again this is a City Hall issue, is that the City Council is looking at the UK Government’s Community Recovery Fund [see entry of 18th September] that was established to support communities impacted by public disorder last summer and I believe that we will be entitled to our share of that.”
He is asked “Should they be getting on with it? Obviously that was last August.”
“Well I would like to have thought that for something that happened last August and just now to be into the New Year and into February, I would like to have seen action on this before now.”
Sandy Row traders are able to apply for capital funding by the 18th March 2025.
21st March 2025
The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee defers consideration of a council officer report on a programme of financial assistance to April 2025.
18th April 2025
The SPRC finally considers the officer’s report. They consider ‘the information on options for direct support to the businesses set out in the report and agreed an approved approach as suggested at paragraph 3.9 as a basis for engagement with eligible businesses.’
The report is withheld by virtue of paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.
23rd April 2025
Representatives of Sham Supermarket meet with Lisa Toland, Senior Manager, Economy. They report that she makes an offer of £4,000 and that she indicates that no further support will be forthcoming from Belfast City Council.
The offer remains unfinalized for a month.
23rd May 2025
Sham Supermarket and Bash Café both receive an offer of ‘a grant of £4,000, as part of the Place & Economy Department’s support for those businesses impacted by the August 2024 riots.’
They are required to provide bank details within 5 working days.