Hate Crime Ruled Out in Belfast Housing Attacks

0:00On April 2nd, early Tuesday morning, homes in East Belfast, Templemore Avenue, and Paxton Street areas got hit with broken windows and graffiti. Folks woke up to a mess that sparked fears of targeted hate, especially with slogans like no HMOs crawled on the walls. A family inside one Paxton Street house was left badly shaken during the attack. Local leaders and wash dogs raised alarms, calling it part of a bigger wave of hostility aimed at newcomers and shared housing setups. Amnesty International's Northern Ireland director, Patrick Corrigan, slammed it as rebranded racism, saying politicians should own the housing. Shortage instead of letting neighbors turn on each other. He urged everyone from cops to communities to step up against this pattern. But by Thursday, police wrapped up their checks and ruled out any hate motive. They're now treating the whole thing as straight up criminal damage, no bias involved. If you saw anything or have footage from CCTV or doorbells, hit up detectives on 101.

1:02Reference number 39 of March 31st. Reports can go online through the PSNI site or anonymously via crime stoppers, keeping the pressure on to catch those responsible.