Speaking after last night's attack in Kinnaird Avenue, Gerry Carroll said: "My thoughts are with the victim of the attack last night, and we hope they recover from this horrific act which no one should ever have had to experience. It should be condemned unequivocally."
"The victim's family, and those who bravely intervened, have experienced an event which will no doubt have a lasting and traumatic impact and they should be given space, time and access to services if they are needed."
"I want to appeal for calm in the wake of this attack. Undoubtedly, everyone who has seen the footage or heard about it will be deeply troubled."
"Organised violent escalation is not the answer. It will only serve to bring more fear and hurt to our communities. We have already seen opportunists attempting to use this tragic event to whip up racism. I utterly condemn this and call on people to reject it."
"We have seen where this kind of response leads - last year, migrant families were burnt out of their homes in Ballymena during retaliation attacks. This solves nothing. No community should be blamed for the heinous acts of one individual, regardless of the colour of their skin or where they were born."
"The local community in North Belfast will be reeling this morning. They do not deserve more violence and intimidation on our streets. They need our support, understanding, and ability to begin to deal with what they have just experienced."
North Belfast Attack: Community Needs Support, Not More Violence on Our Streets
"The local community in North Belfast will be reeling this morning. They do not deserve more violence and intimidation on our streets. They need our support, understanding, and ability to begin to deal with what they have just experienced." - Gerry Carroll
