Water cannon deployed in Belfast as anti-immigration riots spread to second night

Second night of clashes

Riot police used water cannon against a crowd of about 300 people, mostly men in dark clothing and face coverings, who gathered near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, roughly eight miles north of Belfast. The protesters threw bricks and other missiles at police vans and riot shields, and set bins and other items alight in the street. A truck was burned, and a vehicle for emptying gullies was set alight at a Department for Infrastructure depot. Rioters also broke open a metal fence to access the Sandyknowes Wastewater Pumping Station.

Crowds have gathered & missiles are being thrown at officers who have now deployed the water cannon in an attempt to maintain public order.

Police issued loudspeaker warnings before firing two water cannon. One older woman seated at a bus stop between the police line and protesters pulled up her hood to shield herself from the water. A bystander said the woman had lived through the Troubles and refused to move.

Trigger and court appearance

The unrest was sparked by a knife attack on Monday night in north Belfast in which Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye and was left in stable condition. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder, possessing a knife in a public place, and making threats to kill a hospital radiographer. He was remanded in custody for four weeks.

The incident in north Belfast on Monday was deeply shocking. While we understand the strength of feeling about what happened, it is now subject to legal proceedings and justice must be allowed to run its course.

Family appeals for calm

Stephen Ogilvie's family issued a statement stressing the "deeply valuable contribution" migrants make and appealed for calm. After the second night of disorder, the relatives voiced their "disgust" at the scenes. Their plea did not prevent the gatherings.

Wider protests and police response

Unrest was also reported in Derry, where items were set alight on the Ardmore Road. Gatherings took place in Coleraine and at Stormont, though the Stormont protest drew only several dozen people and passed off peacefully. Several advertised protests, including one at Belfast city hall, failed to materialise. Two men appeared in court on Wednesday charged with taking part in riots the previous day.

The PSNI said 200 extra officers were deployed to Belfast. Police also warned that social media users were posting address details online, causing distress to families and neighbours. The force said sharing personal information with intent to endanger others may constitute a criminal offence.

Highlighting properties in this way is totally unacceptable. We have received phone calls from a number of families, house owners, neighbours and members of the wider community who are extremely distressed as a result of this reckless activity.

Aftermath of Tuesday's violence

Tuesday's disorder saw homes and cars set alight across Belfast. Migrant children were among those evacuated by emergency services, with a two-month-old baby the youngest. Twenty-seven people were made homeless. On Wednesday, some schools and businesses closed early and public transport was suspended by teatime. Anti-immigration protesters also staged a demonstration outside Leinster House in Dublin, where a heavy Garda presence cordoned off surrounding areas.

Executive ministers issued a joint statement condemning the "disorder, violence and intimidation" and urged people to "reject violence". They warned that the eyes of the world were watching and that actions would shape how Northern Ireland is viewed.