Main Points
- Twelve police officers were injured and 16 arrests were made in the second night of unrest in Northern Ireland
- A water cannon was deployed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Wednesday to “maintain public order” during a second night of anti-immigration rioting in Belfast
- A 30-year-old man has been remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates’ Court for four weeks after being charged with attempted murder
- The family of Stephen Ogilvie, the man injured in the knife attack, has called for calm in a statement that stressed the “deeply valuable contribution” migrants make
- Various politicans and The Peace Summit Partnership have condemned Monday night’s attack and the immediate unrest
Key Reads
- Newton Emerson: Northern Ireland’s politicians have no power over immigration. London controls it all
Minority groups left in fear after ‘racist thuggery’
After watching images of masked groups rampaging through the streets of Belfast — some targeting the homes and businesses of those believed to be immigrants — members of the city’s ethnic minority communities say they are afraid to leave their homes.
“Women and kids are terrified and in shock,” said Twasul Mohammed, who came to Northern Ireland from Sudan as a refugee in 2016. “We are keeping our kids at home, I haven’t sent my kids to school since this has happened.”
Britain’s minister for Northern Ireland said the anti-migrant attacks were “racist thuggery”.
For many in Belfast’s migrant communities, the unrest echoes trauma they had hoped to leave behind.
“You have to remember we are talking about communities where people have fled war in their own country and people have experienced this kind of thing again and again,” Mohammed told Reuters.
“Immigrants are not the problem, we are not causing the housing crisis or the health service. Every one of us wants to be a part of this community and help build it.”
Ruchira Rangaprasad, who moved to Northern Ireland from India three years ago, said she had been inundated with offers of help after she started posting on social media that she would provide cooked meals to families.
She said more than 30 volunteers - most of them strangers - stepped forward to help distribute dozens of food boxes on Wednesday.
“People are scared to step out of their home, and food is like a basic need, and especially like nutritious home-cooked food ... so that’s why I thought, let me cook and help feed people,” she said.
Kashif Akram, a member of the executive committee at the Belfast Islamic Centre, said the response showed a different side of the city.
“It’s heartbreaking. At the same time Belfast is full of a lot of decent people,” Akram, 44, who was born in Northern Ireland and always lived there, told Reuters.
“The people who are spreading the hate at the moment, they are a minority, there are very few.” - Reuters
Alleged rioter had to be retrieved from Belfast Lough, court told
A teenager who was allegedly part of a crowd who threw a petrol bomb into the open front door of a police Land Rover was arrested after the Coastguard retrieved him from Belfast Lough, reports Paul Higgins.
Belfast Magistrates Court also heard claims on Thursday that as he was being chased by a PSNI inspector who had been set on fire by the petrol bomb, 18-year-old Ryan Fowles discarded a face covering and gloves when he entered the water in Carrick.
Appearing in the dock Fowles, with an address on the Larne Road in Carrickfergus, was charged with rioting on 9th June.
During a contested application for bail, a police officer outlined how a crowd of masked rioters were attacking police in Carrick on Tuesday evening, hurling masonry and paint bombs at a police Land Rover.
A street had been blocked by bins set on fire in the middle of the road and the court heard that when an inspector opened the door to move one out of the way, a rioter stepped forward and threw a lit petrol bomb through the open passenger door.
The petrol bomb ignited and the inspector was set on fire and suffered burn injuries but after it was extinguished, he gave chase to one of the alleged rioters.
Fowles ran across the Marine Highway and into the sea, allegedly discarding gloves and a face covering into the water.
The court heard he remained in the water until the Coastguard and his dad arrived to retrieve him.
Although initially arrested, Fowles was released to go to hospital for treatment for a broken arm but following a phone call on Wednesday, he voluntarily presented himself to police.
According to the defendant, he had been watching the disruption rather than taking part when “he was struck with a baton and in fear, he ran and got into the sea”, his solicitor told the court.
District Judge Anne Marshall refused bail and Fowles was remanded in custody with the case adjourned to 9 July.
Small gatherings spotted in east Belfast
Things are certainly quieter in Belfast today, the disruption seen on Tuesday and Wednesday nights have not, thus far, been matched on Thursday.
A small gathering crowd is blocking a road in east Belfast. Around 30 people are gathered on the Newtownards Road at the intersection with Dee Street. F**k Islam graffiti adorns the front of a shop near the protest.
A handful of police can be seen mediating with protestors but everything is peaceful so far. Other peaceful protests have been discussed online.
Disorder likened to ‘worst possible days of the Troubles’ by PSNI chief
Northern Ireland has witnessed an escalation of disorder that has “not been seen here to those levels since the worst possible days of the Troubles”, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said.
Boutcher said “racist, mindless, vile thugs” have committed acts against those who are “nothing but decent, law-abiding, positive members of this community”.
“I promise you that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is here to protect you. We are here to look after you,” he said, adding that police will arrest and prosecute those responsible.
“My officers have been assaulted last night because they will not accept any of our diverse communities being subjected to this vile criminality,” he said.
Schools praised for being ‘bedrocks of safety’ for pupils amid disorder
Schools in Northern Ireland have been praised for keeping children safe and helping them continue to learn amid the disorder prompted by a knife attack in Belfast.
A letter from the Education Authority (EA) has been sent to schools across Northern Ireland, hailing them as a “bedrock of safety”.
Richard Pengelly, chief executive of the EA, said: “I want to begin by recognising the significant efforts of school leaders and staff in supporting pupils and maintaining continuity of learning during this challenging time.
“Schools provide an essential bedrock of safety, stability and resilience for our children and young people. I hope you and your staff all know how much your contribution is valued.”
He said closures across Northern Ireland would not be “practical” or “proportionate” but schools leaders may need to make decisions based on the specific situations in their local area.
“We all agree maintaining the education of children and young people is a vital priority,” he said.
PSNI were ‘repeatedly warned’ of properties likely to be targeted in riots
A monitoring group repeatedly warned the PSNI over the past eight months that anti-immigration activists were circulating the addresses of properties that were targeted in this week’s Belfast riots, The Guardian has reported.
The Accountability Project Northern Ireland, a volunteer group formed last summer to monitor anti-immigration activity online, sent dozens of reports to the PSNI between November 2025 and June 2026.
They warned of a growing focus on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) by anti-immigration and far-right groups, something they first observed in August 2025.
The Guardian understands a so-called hitlist of addresses has been circulating among far-right groups since August 2025 and was sent to the PSNI in January 2026. The addresses were among the locations targeted during this week’s anti-immigration disorder.
The Guardian has seen a screenshot of an email sent to a PSNI inspector in January attaching one such list. Campaigners say a similar list has been circulated on social media and messaging apps this week.
The reports sent to police also cited a Facebook post stating that HMOs in the Glengormley area “will now be treated as fair game and dealt with accordingly”.
Glengormley was among the areas affected by anti-immigration disorder over the past few days, with masked men setting homes on fire. - The Guardian
Healthcare workers ‘terrified for their own safety’ - O’Neill
Northern Ireland first minister and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill has highlighted concerns of Northern Irish healthcare workers.
She said health workers “from many backgrounds [...] are genuinely terrified for their own safety and for the safety of their families”.
“They are appealing for those behind these attacks to stop. These health workers are the people who care for us and our loved ones when we need them most,” she said.
O’Neill said the vast majority of people have a “deep appreciation” for the work of healthcare workers and that “racist attacks” in person and online are “totally shameful”.
I've just left the Mater Hospital after meeting health workers from many backgrounds who are genuinely terrified for their own safety and for the safety of their families.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) June 11, 2026
They are appealing for those behind these attacks to stop.
These health workers are the people who care… pic.twitter.com/KVCfT7FKkR
Irish, UK Governments to ‘prevent abuse’ of CTA after stabbing
The Irish and UK Governments and the Northern Ireland executive have discussed protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) and stronger enforcement to “prevent abuse” of it in the wake of the Belfast stabbing.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn and Stormont justice minister Naomi Long spoke by phone on Wednesday where the CTA was discussed.
The Department of Justice said in a statement that O’Callaghan emphasised to Long and Benn on Wednesday the “significant” border management operations taking place at Dublin Airport.
The department said the three ministers agreed to work together to “prevent abuse” of the CTA.
“The invisible border on the island of Ireland is among the most tangible gains of the peace process and is essential to the continuing normalisation of relationships,” the Department said in a statement.
“Minister O’Callaghan discussed the importance of cross border cooperation in protecting the Common Travel Area for both Ireland and the UK yesterday by phone with the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice Naomi Long and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn.
“They discussed stronger cooperation and enforcement to prevent abuse of the Common Travel Area.
“Minister O’Callaghan emphasised that significant Border Management Unit doorstop operations now take place at Dublin Airport.
“The number of people landing without documentation has reduced significantly since 2023.
“Northern Ireland Minister for Justice Naomi Long and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, agreed to work with Minister O’Callaghan to prevent abuse of the CTA.” - PA
Michelle O’Neill says online fearmongering not reflective of society
Northern Ireland first minister and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill has said that bad actors are “orchestrating hate and fear” online in the wake of the stabbing in Belfast on Monday.
She said that a lot of the “horrific attacks” on family homes and attacks on buses, police cars and first responders had happened “in the main” in unionist and loyalist areas.
She also said that Chief Constable Jon Boutcher had told her they are “continuing to assess” whether loyalist paramilitaries are involved.
O’Neill suggested these online actors “don’t care about our community” and are “not reflective” of society.
“The vast majority of people here are good and welcoming and inclusive, and value those people that work right across all of our sectors, in particular the healthcare workers that I was meeting with today.”
O’Neill said the DUP were “reverting to type” by raising concerns about the Irish border and migration in the wake of the Belfast stabbing.
She said she did not want to provide a “distraction or deflection” from the attack on Monday or the violence on the streets of Belfast and elsewhere in its aftermath. - Agencies
Suspect got asylum under fast-track scheme to reduce backlog
The Belfast knife attack suspect was granted asylum under a fast-track application scheme set up to reduce asylum backlog.
Hadi Alodid, 30, only had to complete a Home Office questionnaire rather than attend a face-to-face interview because of the “security and humanitarian situation” in Sudan.
He travelled from the north African country to Paris and then on to Dublin before catching a bus to Belfast in February 2023.
Alodid was granted refugee status and given five years leave to remain in the UK, until 2028. He appeared by video-link at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie.
The streamlined asylum process (SAP) scheme was set up when Rishi Sunak was prime minister, in an effort to double the average number of asylum claims processed per week in a bid to grip the backlog. The Tory home secretary at the time, Suella Braverman, and immigration minister Robert Jenrick, have both since moved to Reform UK.
The scheme – which is no longer in operation – was used to process asylum applications for adults from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen without the need for a “personal interview”.
According to guidance from when SAP for adults was introduced in 2023, claimants from those countries had a grant rate of “over 95 per cent”, meaning a less rigorous process could be followed to save caseworkers’ time. Now, all adults must be interviewed. - PA
Just checking in now? Here’s what you have missed
- Twelve police officers were injured and 16 arrests were made during disruption on Wednesday night
- Two water cannons were deployed to counter rioting near the Sandyknowes roundabout
- Victim Stephen Ogilvie in “stable” condition and is “improving”
- Home fires caused by agitators have left at least 27 people homeless
- PSNI is seeking public help in identifying those behind several serious public disorder incidents
- Disorder widely condemned by public figures, with the The Police Federation for Northern Ireland decrying “violent fascist law-breakers”
Stabbing victim ’improving’, could be released from coma soon, DUP leader says
The condition of the Belfast stabbing victim is “improving” and he could be released from a coma within the next 48 hours, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.
The East Belfast MP said he met with the parents of Stephen Ogilvie on Thursday afternoon and that the family were “broken” after what had happened to their son. Ogilvie lost his left eye in the attack on Monday night.
“They have spoken very powerfully, in my view, that their desire is that what happened to their son on Monday evening is not used as an excuse for intimidation or division within our society,” Mr Robinson said at Stormont.
“They have asked me to share that whilst their son remains in a coma, his condition is improving.
“They hope, pray and trust that he will be released from that coma within the next 24 or 48 hours, at which point assessments will be made about his sight and other impacts from the atrocity that happened on Monday evening.” - PA
Chronic under-resourcing leaving PSNI short of manpower
While the PSNI has received 200 additional officers from the UK, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland said it remains under resourced.
The federation welcomed the reinforcements but said chronic under-resourcing had left the PSNI 1,200 short of 7,500 promised officers. The force is bracing for a potential third consecutive night of unrest.
Public transport to terminate early in Belfast due to ‘recent events’
Bus and train services in Northern Ireland are due to terminate early this evening amid fears of further violence.
A statement from Translink, which runs public transport in the North, said there would be no metro or bus departures in Belfast after 5.30pm.
Citing “recent events”, they said the last rail services would end at 8.15pm from the city’s Grand Central Station.
“The safety of our staff and customers remains our top priority, and we thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding during this period.”
On Tuesday night, a Glider bus was burned by agitators.
PSNI fired plastic bullets at agitators, watchdog says
Police have fired plastic bullets at agitators while trying to quell violent agitation which has flared up since Tuesday night.
The Northern Irish police ombudsman said the force has fired 17 of the projectiles and will be opening an investigation into whether the use of ‘attenuating energy projectiles’ was proper.
“Each incident will now be assessed by Police Ombudsman investigators,” they said.
The confirmation came after reporters discovered plastic bullet casings amid debris near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, the scene of intense clashes on Wednesday night when police also used water cannon to disperse rioters.
Patrick Corrigan, the Northern Ireland programme director of Amnesty International, said police had an unenviable task in restoring order but expressed concern at the use of plastic bullets.
He said: “With so many children on the streets, and the risk of serious injury via direct hit or ricochet, there is a significant risk in their use in current circumstances.”
‘No sense of a plan’ to deal with disorder, SDLP leader says
Claire Hanna, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said there is “no sense of a plan” to deal with the ongoing disorder after speaking with the Northern Irish secretary of state Hilary Benn on Thursday.
Hanna stressed the need for short term plans to stop people from being “menaced on the streets and in their homes”, as well as a long term “cohesion strategy”.
The SDLP leader said there is a “toxic mix” of “online radicalisation” and those locally in the North - “agitators rotting people’s brains” - who are seeking to drive division, while speaking to media.
Violent behaviour by ‘thuggish minority’ will not be tolerated, says PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has strongly condemned the second night of disorder in some areas of Northern Ireland.
Speaking at a media facility in Belfast on Thursday, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “Firstly, I strongly condemn the disorder. This violent behaviour, by a thuggish minority, will not be tolerated.
“Last night, we saw significant disorder in Newtownabbey and Portadown. We used water cannon and fired 20 AEP to quell that disorder. We arrested 16 people, with two already charged, and 12 officers were injured, some by petrol bombs, following significant rioting.”
Henderson said it was clear from the outset that those who attended were not intent on peaceful protest, but “on violence”.
“Today, we have launched our Op Exposure campaign, we are releasing images of people we wish to speak to over the disorder. There will be further images released as our detectives work tirelessly to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
“My message to those who have taken part in violence or are thinking of taking to our streets – the stakes for you are high. We will bring you to justice and I know the judiciary stands ready to give long sentences to those bringing disorder to our streets.”
Henderson added that communities in Northern Ireland deserve to get their lives back to normal.
“Yesterday, businesses shut their doors, trains were not running and we saw schools closing early due to fear. This is the impact these thugs are having.”
Officers will be back on the ground in significant numbers on Thursday, he said.
“Our numbers – bolstered by policing colleagues from across GB through mutual aid – will be working to protect these communities and prevent any future disorder,” he said.
“Let me be clear. There can be peaceful protest. It is part of a democratic society. This bears no resemblance to that. We should all listen to the words of the Ogilvie family, who issued an incredibly powerful statement calling for calm. They could not be more clear that violence is not in Stephen’s name.”
Man and woman aged in 20s charged following Wednesday night unrest
Following disorder in Portadown, Co Armagh on Wednesday night, a 28-year-old man has been charged with failing to remove a disguise when requested, obstructing police and resisting police, the PSNI has said.
A 24-year-old woman has also been charged with disorderly behaviour and possession of an article with intent to do damage.
Both are due to appear at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Police federation says ‘violent, fascist lawbreakers’ want to wreck Northern Ireland
The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) says 12 officers injured during disturbances on Wednesday night is down to “violent, fascist lawbreakers” who want to wreck Northern Ireland.
In a statement on Thursday, PFNI chair Liam Kelly said it is intolerable that “our colleagues are bearing the brunt of street disorder”.
“They are doing their level best to curtail, frustrate and arrest rioters,” he said.
“My thoughts are with the 12 officers who sustained injuries and who were confronted by thugs throwing bricks, masonry and petrol bombs and used lasers directed at our frontline.
“Sixteen arrests have been made so far and police efforts will continue at pace to bring scores of others before the courts. My hope is they will be handed maximum sentences.”
Kelly added that general disorder and the forced relocation of innocent families should “leave us shamed and angry”.
“Violent racist and fascist lawbreakers offer nothing but hopelessness and mindless thuggery,” he added.
“We’re getting 200 additional officers under mutual aid and they will provide some much-needed relief for my colleagues. However, we are 700 officers below where we should be and some 1,200 short of the 7,500 that was promised.
“Lives are being turned upside down by masked cowards and it’s time this violence stopped. They are bullies who hide behind anonymous social media threats to businesses and people who come here to work in our health service and industries.”
Hilary Benn condemns ‘racist thuggery’ after 12 police officers injured
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he was “glad to say that last night there was less disorder than we witnessed on Tuesday night”, as he condemned the “racist thuggery” seen in the wake of Monday’s stabbing that left the victim in hospital.
Twelve police officers were injured and 16 arrests were made in the second night of unrest in Northern Ireland following the Belfast knife attack.
Police used water cannons on rioters, as officers were pelted with bricks and petrol bombs by balaclava-clad rioters in Co Antrim on Wednesday evening.
A Department for Infrastructure vehicle was left in flames as rioters confronted police near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, to the northwest of Belfast.
Footage showed dozens of men dressed all in black and wearing face coverings gathering on Antrim Road, where they could be seen tearing bricks from properties and smashing paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at police.
Rioters attempted to set fire to a derelict property near a petrol station in Newtownabbey, with some throwing petrol bombs at police lines.
They could also be seen taking wheelie bins from outside homes and lighting fires in them.
In Derry, police reported items having been set alight on the Ardmore Road.
The family of the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, said they were “disgusted” by the disorder.
In response to a second night of disorder, Benn told LBC Radio: “Thugs burning people out of their homes because of the colour of their skin ... this is not what Northern Ireland is about.”
He added: “Most importantly, the family of Stephen Ogilvie, who was so brutally attacked on Monday night, have said that they don’t want to see this.”
Hadi Alodid (30) appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack in which Ogilvie lost an eye.
The reaction to the incident saw mobs set homes, a bus and cars on fire in Belfast on Tuesday, with people targeted based on their race.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) appealed for assistance in identifying individuals in images connected to Tuesday night’s disorder.
The force also urged those in the pictures to come forward to police.
Benn told Times Radio the fast-track asylum scheme is no longer in operation, and asylum seekers are now “properly processed” in order for a decision to be made on whether they should be granted asylum.
A trade union secretary told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme she believes paramilitary groups were “undoubtedly” involved in the Belfast unrest.
Patricia McKeown, a regional secretary for Unison, said many workers across the region had received threats since Monday’s knife attack.
She told the broadcaster: “Yesterday evening a nurse with a different skin colour was chased into the Ulster Hospital by four masked men.”
McKeown said the nurse still insisted on working her shift, and alternative accommodation has since been found for her.
Leader of the DUP Gavin Robinson told the programme he believed there was “less” violence on Wednesday night than the previous evening.
Robinson said he was against people “abusing our hospitality” and more needed to be done in “protecting” borders into the UK.
The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox urged people not to “create chaos” as she condemned the racist and violent scenes in Northern Ireland.
Kim Leadbeater, a British MP, said she understood anger at Monday’s knife attack but appealed for people not to “riot and cause more trouble and more problems”.
DUP’s Gregory Campbell says ‘hardening’ of Border is ‘utter nonsense’
Gregory Campbell, MP and Westminster spokesperson for the DUP on international development, has described recent events in Northern Ireland as “totally deplorable”.
“We have to hope and work towards whatever happened last night, which thankfully was less bad than the night before. We have to try and work towards a situation where tonight there’s none, and going forward there aren’t any either,” he told the Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage show, Vivienne Clarke reports.
“We have to look at this, we’ve got to try and get the position under control, and I think the police are doing a reasonably good job. And if we can try to see that finished both today and tomorrow and over the weekend, we can then address the fundamental problem, which is the virtually uncontrolled immigration, where we have an increasing population in the UK and we don’t have the services to provide for them.”
Campbell said a “hardening” of the Border was “utter nonsense”.
“There isn’t going to be a hardening of the Border, because there can’t be. If you have 300 crossing points on a land border, how on earth do you put in place installations or structures to control that?
“You couldn’t do it, and no one, hopefully, is suggesting that that’s the case.”
Campbell said the blame for how the Sudanese national involved in Tuesday night’s incident was able to travel from Dublin to Belfast lay with both the Irish and UK governments.
“There has to be a better way of analysing people who come from the Middle East and north African countries. For example, if people are leaving there, and I fully understand and completely empathise with why they’re leaving, for example, Sudan and other countries, but if they’re coming through the whole litany of safe countries, why are they coming to the UK?
“We’ve got to try to ensure that if people are fleeing countries, they go to the nearest safe country rather than travelling hundreds of miles.”
SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole describes unrest as ‘race riots and pogroms’
Matthew O’Toole, SDLP MLA for Belfast South, has told Newstalk’s Claire Byrne show of his work dealing with the aftermath of what he described as “effectively race riots and pogroms”, Vivienne Clarke reports.
“I had to move some of my constituents to safety just a couple of nights ago, so I have been dealing with the consequences of the reaction to all this,” he said.
“I don’t take any of this lightly, but it is also true to say that the existence of the Common Travel Area is a public good and has been sacrosanct for people from all political sides for a very long time.”
There was a legitimate conversation to be had about better information-sharing and better processes because clearly there were two jurisdictions on the island, he said.
“I want us to retain the Common Travel Area, but yes, protect people and ensure that we have functioning information-sharing.
“Migration and asylum systems needed to work better.”
Minority communities ‘being blamed for actions of one person’
Entire minority communities were being collectively blamed for the actions of one person, Derry’s former mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr has said. She said this was not justice but was racism - dangerous and deeply disturbing.
Such anti-immigrant actions needed to be called out, but some politicians were not prepared to call it that, Seenoi-Barr said.
They were using vague language such as community tensions, disorder, violence in the street, but not naming it what it was – racism, she told RTÉ Radio’s Today with David McCullagh show, Vivienne Clarke reports.
“It’s so disappointing and that needs to stop,” she said. “Our leaders need to show leadership, they need to stop using softened languages, they must speak with the one voice, stand with the communities being attacked and make it very clear racism, intimidation and far-right violence will not be tolerated in Northern Ireland.”
Seenoi-Barr, who is an SDLP councillor, was elected mayor of Derry city and Strabane in 2024.
What was happening now in Belfast was similar to what had happened in Ballymena in 2024, she said, when events were “fuelled by a dangerous combination of fear, misinformation spreading online, racist scaremongering, far-right influence”.
This was indicative of a serious lack of leadership, she said.
“Our leaders have basically allowed a horrific crime to be exploited by people who want to divide our communities and it mirrors the other thing that is shocking: it’s the language that is being used here has been imported to Northern Ireland from other places.
“We see that such language is being used in England, it’s being used in America and that is what is worrying us most. We also have to be very honest in Northern Ireland because the context here, there has been a long-standing concern about elements linked to loyalist paramilitary intimidation of minoritised communities, it is not new.
“This needs to be tackled and it needs to be taken seriously.”
Seenoi-Barr acknowledged there were legitimate concerns about the housing shortage in Northern Ireland, but the issue was not that there were too many immigrants.
“The problem is the failure of governments to implement anti-poverty strategy here in Northern Ireland. The problem is the government that has refused to invest in its own people.
“The problem is the government that has refused to build an infrastructure that can support people and get people out of poverty, not immigration. We don’t have enough people from minoritised communities here to cause such a big havoc in Northern Ireland. That’s the fact.”
Deputy First Minister: violence and thuggery has no place here
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP said the scenes on the streets of Belfast this week were “absolutely appalling”.
“It’s completely unacceptable. Violence and thuggery has no place anywhere here,” she said.
Everyone across Northern Ireland and beyond had been horrified when they saw the video of the knife attack in Belfast on Monday night, she told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Vivienne Clarke reports.
Little-Pengelly said she understood people’s frustrations on immigration issues, but there was a minority of people who were determined to turn the issue into one that would spill over into “disorder, thuggery and violence. And that is absolutely wrong.
“The vast majority of people here in Northern Ireland are appalled by disorder and violence,” she said.
“They are absolutely horrified by thuggery, regardless of where that comes from. So, of course, I think it’s incredibly important to have that strong and united leadership, political leadership, sending clear messages.
“Of course, people should remain calm. Peaceful protest is a right. People, of course, have that right to come out and to register frustration on any issue. But, of course, what is not right, what is completely unacceptable, is thuggery and violence. And we’ve been very clear about that. There will always be some elements that do not listen, that do not want to listen.
“In fact, I believe that they come out intent on trying to turn some of these otherwise peaceful protests into those types of disorder activities. And, of course, that’s very frightening for people in those parts of Northern Ireland. Again, it’s a small number of areas.”
It had been obvious from some of the audio clips of the violent incidents that there was “a strong aspect of that that is just simply racist”, she said.
“That has no part to play in Northern Ireland of 2026, never had any part to play.”
There were serious questions to be asked about vetting, she added, “about the immigration policy in the UK, the co-operation with the Irish Government, how those checks happen when people arrive into Dublin. Those are all questions that, of course, should be answered.”
At the moment people were frustrated, they wanted to be listened to, she said.
“There are bad actors out there that are willing to try to, of course, manipulate that. They are willing to try to use that to bring disorder and violence. That is wrong. I absolutely believe there is no space for violence or thuggery or racism. This has to be about politics working for people.”
‘Appalling racist attacks need to stop’ – Pearse Doherty
The “appalling racist attacks” in Belfast need to stop, Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty has said.
Vivienne Clarke reports that he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland: “They have to stop and we need to see community leaders stepping up in relation to those communities.
“We know it’s isolated to predominantly loyalist areas but the scenes that we’re seeing where masked men are going door-to-door looking to see the colour of somebody’s skin is reminiscent of what happened in the late 60s when the same communities were going looking to see if people were Irish or Catholic and burning them out of their homes.
“It is simply unacceptable and we shouldn’t be looking and witnessing those scenes.”
The events highlighted once again the need for a bilateral arrangement with the British government on migration, he said.
“What the Government unfortunately has done is they’ve put all their focus into implementing the EU Migration Pact which doesn’t take into account the fact that we are partitioned, that there’s another member state that is outside the European Union, that there is no official returns policy with Britain at this point in time.
“Let’s be very, very clear about that. That is a migration issue. That doesn’t take away in any way from what we’re seeing either in terms of the violent attempted murder or the racist attacks that have been happening and the excuses that have been used by people to involve themselves in wanton criminality over the last 48 hours.”
Peace Summit Partnership condemns racist attacks
The Peace Summit Partnership and Peace Guardians, a group of veteran peacemakers, have condemned the “horrendous incident” on Monday night that sparked this unrest.
“It was an appalling act, and our thoughts are entirely with the victim and their loved ones. We also condemn the racist attacks over the last two nights and stand in solidarity with the families who were violently forced out of their homes,” it said.
On behalf of the partnership, Tim Attwood said there was an urgent need for collective leadership, accountability and action to prevent further violence and appalling racist attacks.
“We must stand in solidarity with the family affected by the violent attack on Monday and families left in fear after the racist attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday night,” he said.
“Today, we all have a responsibility to extend the hand of friendship and help those in need. We have a responsibility to remove the barriers of prejudice and fear that separate us.
“We must intensify our efforts to seek common ground, build bridges where there are walls of division and stand for justice. Words also matter - rather than promoting division we should be speaking a language of inclusion and generosity which respects difference and diversity.”
The Peace Summit Partnership is an initiative by the John and Pat Hume Foundation, Community Dialogue, YouthAction NI, Holywell Trust, Incore (Ulster University), Integrated Education Fund, NI Youth Forum and the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation.
PSNI seek help in identifying people caught on camera during rioting
The PSNI has issued a statement saying it would like to speak with the people in the below images in connection with serious public disorder in the Belfast area on Tuesday.
“If this is you, we are asking you to come forward to police now,” the statement said.
“Anyone who can assist in identifying this person, please contact police. If you have any information or wish to submit photos and footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dash cam footage please contact police. Please do not comment on this post with information.”
A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. You can also contact the PSNI on 101.
‘Immigrant families are frightened to go out’
A Belfast clergyman has called on politicians, community leaders and church leaders to send a message that immigrant families are welcome and are part of the community.
Rev Brian Anderson of the East Belfast Mission on the Newtownards Road told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland of arriving at his church on Tuesday evening to find a bus fully alight with young men in hoods covering their faces trying to barricade the road, Vivienne Clarke reports.
Anderson said he made efforts to stop them from barricading the road, but was unable to and they moved on to adjoining streets, where he saw cars and houses being set alight.
“What this has caused, fear, uncertainty. The immigrant families who live around the mission here are fearful of their lives, frightened to go out. I was with a family last night, a Romany family. There’s 23 of them living in a very small terrace house, frightened to go out.
“I arranged for accommodation for them last night, somewhere safe, but they were so frightened to come out of the house, they refused to go.
“There is an issue for us in Northern Ireland about integrating them into our culture and accepting their culture so that the two can sit together. So I think we want to rally around them. Then the bigger picture is trying to convince the Protestant community particularly that racism is not the way to solve this.
“If you have issues with immigration into Northern Ireland, then let’s deal with those. But you’ll not do it, you’ll not succeed, it’ll not do anything if you do it by violence.
“So we have a responsibility – politicians, community leaders, church leaders – to try and find forums whereby the anger and the angst can be expressed, but in a way that’s non-violent.
“So we need to try and get forums to involve those people. Young lads, in particular, that they see a future with their Muslim friends who they’re probably going to school with, who are probably sharing classes with them.”
12 police officers injured, 16 arrests made in second night of unrest
Twelve police officers were injured and 16 arrests were made in the second night of unrest in Northern Ireland following the Belfast knife attack, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said.
Nursing staff at NI hospitals afraid to go to work, says spokesperson
Rita Devlin of the Royal College of Nursing has told of efforts being made to ensure nursing staff at hospitals in Northern Ireland from the international community are supported.
Some of them were very frightened and afraid to come to work, she told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Vivienne Clarke reports.
“Now I have to say our trusts have been extremely good in terms of trying to organise getting staff into work and organising taxis and things for them, but you know there were some staff [who] couldn’t get home and had to stay and work,” she said.
Violence in Belfast leaves 27 people homeless
Twenty-seven people have been made homeless as a result of Tuesday night’s unrest that broke out following protests over a knife attack that left a man seriously injured.
A Sudanese man, Hadi Alodid (30), was remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for four weeks after being charged with attempted murder in relation to Monday’s attack.
The family of Stephen Ogilvie, the victim, appealed for calm in a statement that stressed the “deeply valuable contribution” migrants make.
Anti-immigration protesters also staged a demonstration in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon, when a large crowd descended on Leinster House.
Protests also took place in Derry on Wednesday night, where police reported items having been set alight on the Ardmore Road.
Other protests, including at Stormont, took place peacefully.
Water cannons used by PSNI on second night of anti-immigration riots in Belfast
Water cannons were deployed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on Wednesday to “maintain public order” during a second night of anti-immigration rioting in Belfast.
Masked protesters hurled bricks and missiles at riot police at the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey on the outskirts of the city, where more than 200 people gathered before 8pm.
Two water cannons were fired after officers clashed with the crowd as fires were lit in the street.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher confirmed 200 extra officers were deployed to Belfast to deal with any further unrest on Wednesday.
