The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating the appearance of a group of people dressed as the Ku Klux Klan as a hate incident.
Photos emerged on social media of several people wearing white robes and pointed hoods, nearby an Islamic cultural centre in Newtownards in County Down. The pictures are from Saturday, but police were notified of the behaviour on Sunday.
According to the BBC, the PSNI are treating it as a hate incident.
The behaviour has also been condemned by local MLA Kellie Armstrong.
Armstrong, an Alliance MLA for Strangford, has strongly criticised the disturbing behaviour, saying:
“Everyone knows exactly what the KKK stands for. The KKK represents a brand of hatred not wanted or welcome in the area. This group did not simply dress up for Halloween, rather they deliberately posed outside the prayer house in Newtownards. This is a clear demonstration of aggression and bullying towards one particular religion and that is a hate crime. These people were then photographed brazenly walking around Newtownards”.
Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting the reference 1066 with the date 28/10/2018.
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