An anti-racism rally is to be held at Belfast City Hall on Saturday at 1pm, following a week of racist violence in the city.

The event, organised by United Against Racism, comes after ethnic minority families were attacked and forced to leave their homes on Tuesday night. Unrest broke out after a knife attack in North Belfast on Monday that left victim Stephen Ogilvie with serious injuries, including the loss of an eye.

On Friday evening, hundreds of people attended an anti-racism and solidarity rally at the International Wall on Divis Street in the lower Falls area. The demonstration was called by Sinn Féin and People Before Profit.

Speakers included Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly, who had received a death threat earlier in the week. She said the recent events were disturbing and that no one should be made to feel unsafe. West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and North Belfast MP John Finucane were also present.

Mr Finucane said he had spoken to affected residents who were left very afraid. He called for those responsible for the stabbing and for the subsequent attacks on homes and buses to be brought before the courts.

West Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll compared the violence to past sectarian attacks and praised community groups and neighbours who organised shelter for those displaced. He said anti-racist organisations had been inundated with offers of support, which showed that most people reject racist violence. The trade union movement has backed Saturday’s rally.

Dr Raied Al-Wazzan of the Belfast Islamic Centre told the gathering that some families hid their children in attics to protect them from attackers. He described the racism as another form of sectarianism and thanked the people of West Belfast for their solidarity.

The Saturday rally at City Hall is expected to draw a large crowd, with organisers urging a unified turnout to signal that racist violence is not tolerated. The event is supported by trade unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers.