Indian cricketers attacked in Belfast
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Your support makes all the difference.Five members of an Indian cricket team were chased by a group of up to 15 youths in a racist attack in Belfast. A house where some of the teenagers from the touring under-19s team team was staying was also stoned.
Ashok Sharma, the Belfast-based organiser of the tour, said the young victims of the weekend attack had been left frightened and confused.
He told BBC Radio Ulster that he had tried to calm the teenagers, but that they still did not understand why they had been targeted. He said: "They say if they had known this was going to happen to them, they would never ever have come in the first place."
A member of the Legislative Assembly said that those responsible had reached a new low. Naomi Long, a cross-community Alliance Party Assembly member, said the attack was another blow to Belfast's already tattered reputation.
Ms Long said: "This is yet another low - a racist attack on visitors to our city. Locals and visitors alike will be suitably alarmed.
"This is another reminder of the need to destroy the scourge of racism in our society. This sort of incident merely backs up our reputation as Europe's racist capital." Ms Long added that it was especially appalling for guests in the city to be singled out.
"People had gone out of their way to ensure that the team came north of the border. What kind of stories will they go home with?" she asked.
"This kind of antisocial behaviour is becoming so common as to almost be acceptable in some quarters.
"Our streets, even our parks, are no longer safe.
"Never has it been clearer that our leaders need to get beyond pettiness, and deal with the real scars in our society that are bringing shame on us all."
Police are investigating the attack on Sunday. No one was injured.
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