Police water cannon and 16 arrests in second night of racist riots in Belfast

Trigger for violence

A video of a knife attack on Monday evening in north Belfast spread rapidly online. The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was stabbed multiple times and lost his left eye; he is now in stable condition. The suspect, a 30-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker named Hadi Alodid, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. The attack served as a flashpoint for far-right agitators who circulated lists of migrant accommodations and called for protests.

First night of destruction

On Tuesday, June 9, crowds of several hundred people in Belfast set vehicles and homes alight, specifically targeting ethnic minorities and foreign nationals. Residents had to be rescued by firefighters and police. UK Minister for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn described the scenes as "racist thuggery". The police chief, Jon Boutcher, called the riots "a massive act of self-destruction by brainless idiots." Twenty-seven people were left homeless after rioters went door-to-door targeting foreign nationals, according to one minister.

Second night and police response

The violence continued on Wednesday, June 10, this time concentrated in the Newtownabbey and Glengormley areas north of Belfast. A crowd of between 200 and 300 people, many masked, erected barricades, set a van and rubbish bins on fire, and threw bricks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at officers. Police deployed a water cannon for the first time to disperse the crowd. Twelve officers were injured and 16 people were arrested. A group attempted to reach a hotel used as asylum seeker accommodation, but officers blocked them. Elsewhere, smaller gatherings in Derry, Coleraine and at Stormont remained largely peaceful.

Far-right incitement and official condemnation

The riots were fuelled by online campaigning. The victim's family issued a statement through police, saying:

“We have observed a great deal of misinformation on social media. We want to make it unequivocally clear: night-time disorder is not welcome.”

Far-right figure Tommy Robinson and Tesla CEO Elon Musk both publicly called for demonstrations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the violence "utterly unjustified".

Community impact and next steps

Before Wednesday's riots, many schools and shops in Belfast closed and bus and train services were suspended. Police reinforcements from other parts of the UK were expected to arrive on Thursday. The Northern Ireland government condemned the violence, saying it had spread fear and endangered innocent lives. Ministers appealed for calm and urged people not to be misled by online voices.