Parents of pupils attending a Belfast school have insisted they will not allow their children to return until authorities deal with complaints over an alleged playground attack which police are investigating as a “hate crime”.

Crowds gathered outside the Belfast Modeling School for Girls in north Belfast on Thursday to protest the school’s response to an incident on Tuesday.

Several parents said they withdrew their daughters for “safety” reasons and were among the dozens of protesters at the gathering.

The principal wrote to parents urging them not to share speculation about the incident on social media, warning that it had “raised tensions in our community” as well as affected the welfare of students.

The appeal was taken up by the Education Authority, which said in a statement “there is no evidence to support inaccurate claims or fears expressed on social media about the safety of pupils”.

Police confirmed they were “continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime”.

The claims about the school were shared by some social media accounts not linked to the parents, which had previously posted far-right material, including linked to the race riots that took place in Belfast over the summer.

A number of parents who attended Thursday’s protest said they would keep their children at home until they felt the issue was resolved.

Lisa McCaughan told The Irish News: “People say it’s all about race when it’s not – my own girls are mixed race. This is about the safety of our children.”

Chloe Bassett said: “I’ve taken my daughter outside and I’m going to keep her away until I know she’s safe.”

Kirsty McKinney criticized the school’s response to the incident, saying: “I don’t think the school authorities are doing enough here. I’m keeping my daughter out until there’s no more cause for concern.”

Another parent, Melissa Croft, emailed the principal to let her know her daughter would not be returning to class “until assurances of her safety are provided.”

“As a parent, her well-being and safety is my highest priority and I cannot allow her to return under the current circumstances,” she wrote.

“My daughter deserves to feel safe in her school environment and I respectfully ask that steps be taken to ensure her safety before she resumes attendance.”

In her letter to parents, principal Paula Stuart wrote: “We are aware of various allegations circulating on social media which have unfortunately led to increased tensions in our community, negatively impacting on the wellbeing of pupils and their sense of belonging. safety.

“I want to assure you that we take the safety and well-being of all our students very seriously. We are working closely with the Education Authority and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to address this issue appropriately.

“It is important to note that, contrary to some reports, there is no evidence to support the inaccurate claims or fears expressed on social media about student safety and we would ask for your support to help stop the spread of such information. “

DUP North Belfast MP Brian Kingston spoke to parents at the protest and also called for caution about online speculation.

He told The Irish News: “This is very damaging to the education of pupils and the school community.

“Unfortunately, claims are being circulated as if they were facts.”

He added: “I would urge people to remain calm while the investigation takes place by the relevant authorities. We want to get to the truth and find out what is behind this, what led to this incident and how it can be resolved.”

A PSNI spokesman said: “Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime. Officers are liaising with key stakeholders on this matter.

“No arrests have been made at this stage.”