A Belfast rally being staged in support of Muslim communities will be told that Northern Ireland won’t be divided by hate.
The Unity Over Division event is taking place at City Hall at 11.30 this morning.
It follows attacks on Muslim communities in England and planned Islamophobic protests in Belfast.
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Disorder has hit parts of England this week, including in London, Manchester, Southport and Hartlepool, after the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Merseyside.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is accused of the attack, but false claims spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.
Among the speakers at the City Hall event is Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director.
Speaking ahead of the rally, he said society will reject those seeking to spread division and hatred.
“From Belfast, we send our support and compassion to all those affected by the awful tragedy in Southport, to the families and friends of the girls who so tragically lost their lives in the most terrible circumstances and to the children and adults who were injured and are still in hospital,” he said.
“Some people have sought to cynically exploit that unspeakable tragedy in order to sow division and hatred, but those who seek to divide us do not know us.
“To the hate-mongers, I have a message for you today from the people of Belfast and from every community across these islands.
“The more you try to divide us, the more united we grow. The more hate you try to stoke, the more love we will show to our neighbours.
“We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community, with the refugee community and with every community which is reeling from attack or feeling the fear of threat and intimidation.
“Belfast is a city of love. We stand as one.”