It sends an important message that we have come together as an Assembly to unequivocally condemn the behaviour, which has been motivated by racism, that we are watching unfold in Belfast and across the United Kingdom.

I wish to remember three beautiful girls — Bebe, Elsie and Alice — whose precious lives were taken by a man: a young man. If there is any protest that we should all join, it should be that to address the persistent violence against women and girls. It is not all men — indeed, men and boys are victims too — but when violence occurs, facts tell us that the perpetrator is usually a man. That is the crisis that we need to address, and I ask Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom to reflect on that rather than on the misinformation that is clouding judgement on the issue.

I also pay tribute to the community in Southport. We need to look to their example, which shows that, despite profound loss and a deep wound that will scar their community for ever, they have remembered their babies with dignity. They do not want violence. They do not want it in the name of those whom they loved.

I will say this to those who are rioting and being abusive: do not dare to claim that it is for anyone but yourself. I say to those who are being targeted: I am so sorry that living here has made you feel scared, intimidated and unsafe. As someone who is deeply proud to be from Northern Ireland, I am horrified and ashamed that this behaviour is being associated with my home and yours. I say to immigrants that ethnic minorities are not a community apart. You are our community. You are the doctors in our hospitals, the businesses that have provided jobs, the colour and culture that have enriched our lives, and the people who are doing the targeting can claim only to live here.

Let us all be very clear. The motivation for riots — they are not protests — criminal damage and intimidation is racism. Those who are leading them are racists. Their raison d'être is to whitewash our community. If you tell me that you are not a racist, do not try to justify the behaviour. Stop the whataboutery and stop standing with them. The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland are wonderful, welcoming people. Let us not allow this behaviour to represent us. Share your concerns, protest peacefully, contact your MLA, but do not protest in the way that we are seeing.

I acknowledge that there are problems, but they were created by successive Governments, or their absence, in Stormont and Westminster. What sense or justification is there in destroying a business that creates jobs, serves the community and contributes to our economy? If you are frustrated because you cannot find a house, access your GP or heat your home because the Government plan to take away your subsidy, do not blame those who are in the same position as you. They are also in that position. The colour of their skin does not stop the very real problems of bad government and poor public services. If anything, it exacerbates them.

What we are seeing should be a stark warning to the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government. You need to build back confidence in the people of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. That starts with a Programme for Government and action on resourcing our police force and building houses. Start listening to the people who elect us, and start serving them accordingly.

It means nothing that the Union flag is joined with the Irish flag as a symbol of this behaviour. If anything, it justifies nothing and desecrates both. A criminal is a criminal, regardless of the flag that they fly. Setting aside sectarianism for racism is neither novel nor something to be proud of. Paramilitaries do not exist for a cause or because they are concerned about you. It is entirely about them, whether that is selling drugs, making money or other forms of criminality. Those things are much easier when the police are distracted elsewhere. It is your community that they are exploiting and your children whom they are manipulating.

I am horrified at seeing children in the middle of all the current violence, but, sadly, that is not new. I will remind parents, however, that the criminal age of responsibility in Northern Ireland is 10 years old. Their cute smile will not save them, nor will their primary-school uniform. They will be criminals for the rest of their life. Is that what we really want for them? Is that what we want for the future of Northern Ireland? I stand against racism.