Rea Estates has as soon as once more been focused by far proper protesters over false claims its helps home asylum seekers.
Robert McDowell, the director of the Belfast-based property company, had his enterprise picketed by demonstrators in the beginning of final week.
This isn’t the primary time that campaigners have focused the property company.
The companies was focused twice in every week final yr, with the company’s premises rammed by a automotive on one occassion.
In response to the police, masked males drove a hijacked automotive into the constructing on Woodvale Highway.
On the time, McDowell informed the press that he believed his agency was focused due to claims he was renting houses to asylum seekers. Six folks have been arrested and later charged.
McDowell acquired a telephone name telling him that masked males had made at the very least two makes an attempt to ram a automotive into his enterprise and that a big crowd had gathered exterior the premises.
“I’m sitting right here in shock – completely shocked to be truthful – and a bit scared and really, very involved for the folks in that constructing,” he mentioned the time.
McDowell informed BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Present final yr that workers had expressed issues about returning to work.
“They’re apprehensive about really being in their very own houses as a result of a few of them reside fairly shut by and near our workplace, that this might unfold they usually themselves may very well be focused due to the place they work,” he added.
The property company has been primarily based within the space for about 30 years.
McDowell informed BBC Information NI false claims had circulated on social media claiming the enterprise was offering houses for asylum seekers.
He mentioned the claims have been “100% completely unfaithful”.
His tenants require locally-based guarantors and references from different people who find themselves residents of Northern Eire earlier than they’ll hire a house, he mentioned.
The property agent mentioned he did hire houses to tenants who got here from abroad to work in Northern Eire, together with well being workers.
A few of McDowell’s tenants have reportedly been intimidated out of their houses as a consequence of racism.
“There’s one tenant who has mentioned he’s had sufficient. He’s going again to Africa,” he mentioned.
“I do know of one other household who returned to India. She was a nurse however her home was focused, and a sticker was placed on the window, which made it very clear that due to the place she was born, she wasn’t welcome within the space.”
