Stormont’s First Minister said she had contacted PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher about the allegation.
Police must get to the bottom of claims that officers advised healthcare staff to show IDs to masked men during disorder that flared in Northern Ireland last week, Stormont’s First Minister has said.
Michelle O’Neill said she had contacted Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher about the allegations.
The claims first emerged last week amid the violence that erupted in parts of the city after a knife attack in north Belfast in which Stephen Ogilvie, who is aged in his 40s, lost an eye.
Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, charged with attempted murder over the incident.
Anti-immigration disorder that broke out in response to the stabbing saw mobs set homes, a bus and cars on fire, with people targeted based on their race.
There have been multiple reports of foreign national healthcare workers being intimidated.
Ms O’Neill said the suggestion that masked gangs were asking nurses to show their ID as they travelled to work was “vile and disgusting”.
She expressed particular concern about a claim that police officers close to the Mater Hospital in north Belfast had advised healthcare staff to show their IDs to the rioters as they passed “checkpoints” set up by the gangs.
“It’s absolutely vile and disgusting,” said Ms O’Neill.
“I’ve raised it directly with the Chief Constable. I know that our team in the Policing Board (PSNI oversight body) also raised this issue, and I’ve asked the Chief Constable to do a full investigation into this, because I’ve been told by members who work in one of our local hospitals that they stood with police and were told to show their ID to masked men on the street.
“If that happened, there needs to be a serious investigation. No nurse or no person going into the workplace to stop at any mob and give their ID. That’s absolutely disgraceful.”
She added: “I think we have to get to the bottom of whether or not that did happen. I put it directly to the Chief Constable, who, in the first instance, dismissed it, but then, whenever I went back to him again, he had to take on board that actually both myself and the Health Minister (Mike Nesbitt) were told this by members of staff.”
The Royal College of Nursing engaged with the PSNI on the issue last week.
While the race-related violence has died down since Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the weekend did see some isolated incidents in parts of Belfast and beyond.
Two men were arrested after criminal damage was caused to a property and vehicle in the Donegall Avenue area of south Belfast, while a house in north Belfast was targeted in an arson attack.
A Together Against Hate rally took place outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday afternoon, with an estimated 3,000 demonstrators in attendance.
The PSNI has been approached for comment on Ms O’Neill’s remarks.
