Riot police in Northern Ireland deployed water cannons on protesters after they were pelted with bricks and petrol bombs during a second night of disorder following a knife attack in Belfast. A large Department for Infrastructure vehicle was set ablaze as demonstrators confronted police near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, northwest of Belfast.
Violent Protests Erupt
Footage showed dozens of men dressed in black and wearing face coverings gathering on Antrim Road, where they tore bricks from properties and smashed paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles. Petrol bombs were also thrown at a water cannon and police vehicles, according to Belfast Live. Protesters took wheelie bins from homes and set them on fire.
Videos on social media showed attempts to march to the Chimney Corner Hotel, which houses asylum seekers. Riot police and vans were deployed to manage the demonstrations. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said water cannons were used to maintain public order after missiles were thrown at officers.
Unrest Spreads to Derry
In Derry, police reported items set alight on Ardmore Road. Additional officers were deployed following significant unrest on Tuesday night after Monday's brutal attack. Public transport was suspended and some schools closed early on Wednesday amid fears of further violence.
Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared in court charged with attempted murder over Monday's knife attack, in which victim Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye. Mr Ogilvie, in his 40s, remains in a serious condition in hospital in Belfast and is understood to be in an induced coma.
Political Reaction
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to crack down on anyone fuelling division. Security minister Dan Jarvis said reports that ethnic minorities were targeted were sickening. The Prime Minister described the rioting as shocking and completely unacceptable, stating that those responsible would face the full force of the law.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said 200 more officers would be on the streets on Wednesday night, with mutual aid arriving the next day. The force warned that sharing personal information online with intent to endanger others may be a criminal offence.
Mr Ogilvie's family pleaded for calm, stating that overnight unrest is not welcome and that peaceful protest is the only way forward. They emphasized the valuable contribution of migrants to the country and urged against using the tragedy to divide people or fuel hostility.
