Violence erupted on the streets of Belfast for a second night on Wednesday as masked young men hurled bricks at police, who responded by firing water cannon to disperse gathering crowds.
Masked youths broke up parts of pavements and walls of private homes to make bricks to throw at police, and a vehicle appeared to have been set alight, sending black smoke billowing into the sky.
Two hundred extra police officers were on the streets after residents were forced to flee homes that were set alight on Tuesday night, as a Sudanese man was charged over a knife attack in Belfast.
The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost an eye in the attack, said they were “disgusted” by the response and “do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility”.
Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister condemned the second night of destruction as “racism, intimidation and thuggery”, saying the acts “serve no one and only cause harm and fear within communities”.
Suspect Hadi Alodid appeared at Belfast magistrates’ court charged with attempted murder, threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife.
Alodid, who refused legal representation, was remanded in custody for four weeks.
Read MoreHero bystanders who intervened in Belfast knife attack praised as ‘best of humanity’
Man due in court over Belfast knife attack following night of violence
Suspect in Belfast stabbing was asylum seeker who came to UK from Sudan
Key points
- Family of victim insist 'We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide'
- Belfast descends into chaos again as protesters clash late into Wednesday
- Masked youths tear lumps from homes to make bricks to hurl at police
- In pictures: Youths use fencing to shield themselves from water cannon
- Twenty-seven people made homeless by violent protests
- Victim of the Belfast stabbing lost his left eye in the attack, court hears
Comment: After the Belfast riots, the Irish border is back to haunt Brexit
03:30 , James ReynoldsThe fluid arrangement between Ireland and the UK was a diplomatic fudge long before Britain left the European Union – but the violence unleashed by a knife attack has called this gentlemanly agreement into question, says Mary Dejevsky:
After the Belfast riots, the Irish border is back to haunt Brexit
Ofcom contacts social media platforms over risk of illegal content
03:00 , Jane DaltonSocial media platform X - formerly Twitter - is among those to have been contacted by the communications watchdog about online content potentially linked to scenes of violence in Belfast.
Technology secretary Liz Kendall said she had explicitly asked Ofcom to discuss with X and other platforms how they will comply with the Online Safety Act.
Elon Musk, who used his online account to promote calls for people to take to the streets in response to Monday’s knife attack, hit back at accusations he was inflaming tensions and blamed immigration policy.
Communications regulator Ofcom said some of the disorder appeared to have been incited online, adding: “This has included racially motivated incidents of violence, arson attacks on homes and vehicles, and attacks against police.”
The watchdog said it had contacted all major platforms where it believed there were “specific risks around the presence of illegal content relating to the civil unrest”.
Online service providers have duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 to “assess and mitigate the risks of illegal activity occurring on their sites and apps” – content that may include stirring up hatred or provoking violence.
Comment: As I watch Belfast burn in violent protests, I think of the far right in England and the US spreading poison
02:30 , James ReynoldsPeople who know nothing of my city and have probably never been here are using what’s happening to their own advantage, writes Amanda Ferguson in Belfast:
From Belfast: As I watch my city burn, I think of the far right spreading poison
Watch: Sam Kiley reports live as Belfast rioters are hit with Water cannons
02:00 , James ReynoldsStephen Ogilvie in hospital in a stable condition after Monday's attack
01:30 , James ReynoldsThe victim of Monday night’s attack, Stephen Ogilvie remained in hospital on Wednesday.
He is in a stable condition in hospital in Belfast, his family said.
They urged against falsehoods being shared online about his condition.
It is understood Mr Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, is in an induced coma.
The court heard earlier that Mr Ogilvie lost his left eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face and back during the attack.
Pictured: The aftermath of protests on Wednesday
01:00 , James Reynolds
Belfast stabbing victim’s family condemn riots and plead: ‘Don’t use tragedy to fuel hostility’
00:30 , James ReynoldsThe family of the Belfast stabbing victim have condemned violent riots that saw houses torched, forcing families to flee, as “not welcome”.
Relatives of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost an eye in Monday night’s attack, said they were “horrified” by the attack but said they did not want the incident to stoke division after migrant families were targeted by rioters.
They defended migrants who they said “make a deeply valuable contribution” to Northern Ireland and called for peaceful protests going forward.
Belfast stabbing victim’s family condemn riots and say ‘unrest is unwelcome’
Wednesday's demonstrations condemned as 'disgraceful and disgusting' by infrastucture minister
00:15 , James ReynoldsNorthern Ireland’s infrastructure minister has condemned the lighting on fire of a vehicle in a depot owned by her department in Co Antrim.
The vehicle, thought to be used to clear gullies, were set alight during disorder at the Sandyknowles roundabout earlier.
Liz Kimmins said a second night of destruction and disruption “needs to be condemned in the strongest possible way”.
“It is racism, it is intimidation and absolute thuggery,” she said.
“These acts serve no one and only cause harm and fear within communities. It is disgraceful and disgusting.
“I utterly condemn the incident at my department’s depot in Sandyknowes and the further disruption we have seen with transport services suspended and businesses closing early.
“I thank the police for their response and I reiterate the calls for this violence to stop.”
Ugandan student forced to flee Belfast home
23:57 , James ReynoldsIn a harrowing testimony, a Ugandan student nurse told ITV how she was forced to flee her home during unrest in Belfast this week.
“I only got three things from the house and the only thing I did not get from the house were the letters my children wrote for me. Because that is all I have from my children: the letters that they wrote for me three years back when I was leaving them back home,” she said.
“I think that is the only thing I didn’t get. I only got my passport, my laptop and my uniform because I have to go to work.”
Stephen Ogilvie in hospital in a stable condition after Monday's attack
23:47 , James ReynoldsThe victim of Monday night’s attack, Stephen Ogilvie remained in hospital on Wednesday.
He is in a stable condition in hospital in Belfast, his family said.
They urged against falsehoods being shared online about his condition.
It is understood Mr Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, is in an induced coma.
The court heard earlier that Mr Ogilvie lost his left eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face and back during the attack.
Expanded: Family of victim insist 'We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide'
23:19 , James ReynoldsIn a fresh statement issued via the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Wednesday evening, Mr Ogilvie’s family said they wanted to make clear they do not support violence.
“We have been left feeling disgusted by the scenes that unfolded yesterday across Northern Ireland in the wake of what happened,” they said.
“We want to make it absolutely clear that to do this in response is not supported by our family, and peaceful protest is only ever the way forward.”
They went on to emphasise they do not want what happened to their loved one to divide people.
“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including from within our healthcare system and hospitality sector, and we depend on them to make our country work,” they said.
“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility – do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values.”
The family also paid tribute to those who intervened during the attack.
“We also wish to say a profound thank you to the local people who bravely stepped in during the attack,” they said.
“Your quick actions absolutely saved his life, and we will never forget what you did for him in that moment.
“We also want to thank the emergency services and the doctors and nurses looking after him.”
Victim's family 'deeply distressed' by false information circulating - and 'disgusted' by ongoing disorder
23:09 , James ReynoldsThe family of Stephen Ogilvie, the victim of Monday night’s knife attack in Belfast, say that the sharing of false information on social media is “deeply distressing” and should stop.
In a statement shared by police, they say the falsehoods are “now forcing us to clarify that our loved one is in fact in a stable condition, and we are solely focused on his recovery at this time”.
They add that they have been left “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder.
Bedlam continues late into Wednesday
23:04 , James ReynoldsHorrific scenes are still emerging from the Belfast area under nightfall.
On the Antrim Road, where tonight’s clashes have centred, a house can be seen gutted and charred with smoke and flame still billowing out of what remains of the roof, according to a photograph published by the Belfast Telegraph.
Nearby, police were still using water cannon to disperse a large mob of demonstrators on the road leading to a hotel previously believed to house migrants.
A fleet of police vehicles remain in position, with riot police wielding batons and riot shields on the streets, separated from the protesters by a wall of fire.
Earlier, police stood their ground in line formation, in front of a row of police Land Rovers, containing pockets of scattered protesters on a closed road.
Another photo from the area shows a car toppled onto its roof and burned out with a wheel entirely missing. Three police vans are parked nearby.
In pictures: Police continue to disperse crowds as night falls
22:49 , James Reynolds
Police warn against sharing 'hit list' of addresses
22:34 , James ReynoldsPolice have cautioned against sharing a ‘hit list’ of addresses in Northern Ireland marked out in the latest wave of unrest.
According to the BBC, the list is circulating social media and has more than 100 addresses listed on it for targeting.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland say called the list “unacceptable” and warned that sharing it could amount to a criminal offence.
The BBC says that they have spoken to some of the residents at addresses on the list. They were students, they report, who have had been forced from their homes to stay elsewhere tonight.
Police have already established a presence outside some addresses.
'Missiles are being thrown at officers' - police
22:26 , Alex RossPolice Service Northern Ireland has given an update on the scene at the Sandyknowes roundabout area in Newtownabbey.
In a statement, the force said: “Road users and members of the public are asked to avoid the Antrim Road area, as a number of missiles, including bricks, bottles and masonry, have been thrown at police.
“A bin has also been set alight.”
Pictured: Stand-off between police and protesters as bins alight
22:01 , Jane DaltonAs darkness fell in Belfast, a row of bins was burning in the road, with protesters on one side and a line of police vans on the other.
Watch: Water cannon used on rioters – Sam Kiley reports live from scene
21:37 , Jane DaltonWhere the violence is happening
21:32 , Jane DaltonMasked youths tear lumps from homes to make bricks to hurl at police
21:31 , Sam KileyIn Newtownabbey on the northern outskirts of Belfast, a crowd of a few hundred gathered in a stand-off with the police.
Young men broke up parts of the pavement and the walls of suburban homes to throw bricks at the police, who responded with water cannon which soaked a small hard-core of young men all wearing black tracksuits and with their faces covered.
Bricks rained in against the police.
Local people said they believed the motivation for the latest violence was as much an expression of anger whipped up by social media against immigrants as it was an opportunity to “have a bit of a punch-up“.
But what passes for fun among young men here will be exploited by extremist politicians on this island and on the mainland of Britain, where race and immigration issues are being used to make political gains in an evermore fractured and bruised body politic.
Masked rioters hurl bricks, bins and traffic cones at police
21:27 , Jane DaltonBricks, wheelie bins and traffic cones are being launched towards police to the north of Belfast by masked rioters.
Rioters wearing face coverings and all-black outfits advanced towards police on Antrim Road in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, and tried to hit officers with bricks and other projectiles.
Some rioters could be seen kicking police vehicles although the demonstrators retreated after a water cannon was deployed by riot police.
'The night is yet young': Tensions in loyalist Belfast
21:19 , Jane DaltonIn loyalist areas of Belfast, there seems to be a sense that the night is yet young, says world affairs reporter Sam Kiley, in Newtownabbey.
He said there were at least a dozen armoured Land Rovers with police personnel standing by, and two small fires were still burning on the road, after protesters threw objects at police and water cannon were fired on them.
“Beyond the police lines here there is a substantial crowd right across Belfast,” he said.
Helicopter footage on the far side of the police line showed protesters gathering stones in the road.
Men throwing bricks and stones met by water cannon
21:15 , Jane DaltonRecap: Riot police have used water cannons against demonstrators who lit fires and threw bricks and stones at police to the north of Belfast.
Dozens of men dressed all in black and wearing face coverings gathered on Antrim Road in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, and threw objects at a line of eight police vehicles.
Two water cannons, near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, were fired by police towards demonstrators who had also lit fires in the street.
Riot police force masked protesters to retreat
21:06 , Jane DaltonRiot police forced masked protesters who threw bricks at them to retreat, in confrontations north of Belfast.
Police vehicles, including a water cannon, advanced down Antrim Road in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, while demonstrators, wearing balaclavas and face coverings, moved back.
The masked protesters could be seen gathering piles of bricks and throwing them at police.
Anti-immigration protest at Stormont
20:52 , Jane DaltonMore than 100 people attended an anti-immigration protest at the front of Parliament Buildings in the Stormont estate in Belfast.
The protesters walked up the hill and gathered at the Edward Carson statue.
The crowd dispersed after the demonstration, which passed without incident.
Home Office to step up immigration crackdown in Northern Ireland
20:45 , Jane DaltonThe Home Office will intensify immigration enforcement in Northern Ireland following the stabbing in Belfast, a government source has said.
It’s believed the government will increase its efforts to detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland, according to Sky News.
The suspect in the attack was a Sudanese national who travelled north via the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement with the UK.
During the crackdown, immigration officers will provide 24-hour-a-day coverage of ports, airports, roads and rail networks to catch anyone breaching UK immigration laws.
The action will be part of a planned £3.7bn investment in immigration enforcement activity across the UK over the next three years.
A government source said that since the 2024 general election, a multi-agency crackdown targeting abuse of the CTA had led to the arrest of 250 organised criminals and immigration offenders, as well as the seizure of over £435,000 of criminal cash.
Unrest reported in Londonderry
20:42 , Jane DaltonDisorder has been reported by police in Londonderry.
In a second night of disturbances following a knife attack in north Belfast, police have adviced drivers to avoid the Ardmore Road at the Church Brae junction of the city due to items being set alight.
Meanwhile, crowds have gathered at the Sandyknowes roundabout in Co Antrim where police used water cannon against youths hurling objects.
In pictures: Youths use fencing to shield themselves from water cannon
20:40 , Jane Dalton
Watch: 'This has been brewing': Sam Kiley reports from streets of Belfast
20:36 , Jane DaltonVehicle on fire as riot police on streets
20:24 , Jane DaltonA vehicle appears to have set alight in Belfast as riot police were deployed to deal with demonstrations.
Smoke, visible on TrafficWatchNI cameras for the M2, could be seen billowing upwards in Newtownabbey, which is about eight miles northwest of Belfast city centre.
Videos showed protesters attempting to march to the Chimney Corner Hotel, with riot police and several vans being deployed to manage the demonstrations.
Water cannon used on protesters hurling objects at police
20:22 , Jane DaltonPolice have fired water cannons to repel protesters who were hurled projectiles at them.
A group of protesters in Antrim Road next to the Sandyknowles roundabout in Newtownabbey used a bin to shield themselves from the water cannon before hurling objects at police.
Dispatch: Heavy police presence in Lendrick Street 24 hours after houses set alight
20:11 , Sam KileyA heavy police presence of armed officers on foot and many others in armed vehicles choke the roads around Lendrick Street in east Belfast and groups of black-clad youths gathered beneath loyalist murals and eyed the “Peelers”.
Rioting that followed the alleged attempted murder of a local man by a Sudanese asylum seeker the day before has left at least three homes and as many cars gutted on this street just 100m long.
Scenes of immigrants being rescued in Land Rovers amid mob violence evoked memories, for some, of the sectarian violence of years gone by.
Now immigrants, easily identified by their ethnic appearance, are targets in these streets where Catholics and Protestants, the army and secret services, fought an insurgency for decades.
Young men with covered faces loomed and strutted about the streets. Teenage girls hung about. Middle-aged people pass information about the movement of the police to one another.
In pictures: Scenes from Belfast tonight
20:05 , Jane DaltonPhotos by Sam Kiley:
In pictures: Burned out cars in Belfast following a night of protests
20:00 , James Reynolds
Police face black-clad youths in Belfast
19:36 , Sam Kiley, world affairs editor, in BelfastIn Ledrick Street in Belfast, where three burnt-out cars and as many homes were destroyed in rioting on Tuesday night, a heavy police presence was matched by groups of black-clad youths congregating beneath loyalist graffiti.
A police helicopter hovered over the streets that were once the scene of sectarian violence and have now been cursed with racist rage and violence against immigrants following the alleged attempted murder of a local man by a man identified as a Sudanese asylum-seeker.
Government to intensify immigration enforcement in Northern Ireland
19:30 , James ReynoldsA government source tells The Independent that the government will intensify immigration enforcement to track down, detain, arrest and remove illegal migrants in Northern Ireland with new investment.
They say the Home Secretary is investing £3.7bn into Immigration Enforcement activity over the next three years, including in Northern Ireland.
Investment into enforcement is to increase by over 20 per cent by 2028-29, they say.
“This will see a surge in Intelligence-led operations lead by Immigration Enforcement and Border Force along CTA routes to detect, track down, arrest and remove illegal migrants. Nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed in the last year alone.”
The number of asylum seekers in supported accommodation in Northern Ireland has decreased by 6% under this Government, from 2,530 in June 2024 to 2,379 in March 2026, they say.
Attack victim in induced coma
19:18 , Jane DaltonStephen Ogilvie, who lost an eye when he was attacked in Belfast on Monday night, remains in a serious condition in hospital in Belfast, and it is understood he is in an induced coma.
Police warn public against posting addresses online and 'putting lives at risk'
19:00 , James ReynoldsThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) warned that social media users “highlighting properties” by posting addresses online are “putting lives at risk” and may be committing a criminal offence.
“We are aware that following recent disorder some social media users are posting address details online, or sharing these through communication apps. Highlighting properties in this way is totally unacceptable,” a spokesperson said.
“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. This is unacceptable. It is putting lives at risk and has to stop.
“Anyone who shares personal information online with the intention to endanger others may be committing a criminal offence.
“Any person who publishes or distributes material which is threatening or abusive may also be committing an offence.
“We will be investigating any such posts which come to our attention.”
Hundreds of cases of illegal migration enforcement in NI, minister says
18:45 , Jane DaltonAuthorities have carried out 1,500 enforcement operations linked to illegal immigration in Northern Ireland over the past year, a minister says.
In the House of Lords, Conservative shadow Northern Ireland minister Lord Caine asked: “What conversations are taking place to prevent migrants coming into Ireland from other safe EU countries that are in the Schengen area and then exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA) to claim asylum here in the United Kingdom?”
Cabinet Office minister Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent replied: “The CTA has been in operation for a century and is something that is of regular conversation with both the British and Irish governments, and that continues to be so and has been so this week.
“I think it’s helpful for members of your Lordships’ House to know that in the last 12 months, there were 1,500 enforcement operations which took place in terms of illegal immigration in Northern Ireland, with more than 1,200 arrests.”
Twenty-seven people made homeless by last night's violent protests, says minister
18:30 , James ReynoldsCabinet Office minister Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent told the Lords on Wednesday that 27 people were made homeless during the disorder last night “because people went door-to-door to try and target foreign nationals to burn them out of their homes”.
“I can only imagine the terror,” she continued, adding: “A two-month-old is the youngest victim who had to be moved from her home and I don’t think any of us will ever be able to forget the image of a nine-year-old child and their family being put in the back of a Land Rover to be rescued from violent, racist thugs who were seeking to undermine them and to undermine their very sense of belonging in a country that many of them have lived in for decades.”
“This is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
In pictures: Burnt-out bus removed from street
18:15 , Jane Dalton
Recap: Suspect appears before magistrates' court in Belfast
18:05 , James ReynoldsHadi Alodid, 30, of Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court on Wednesday charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, threatening to kill an NHS radiographer and with possession of a knife.
Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put to him through an Arabic interpreter. When asked if he wished to apply for bail, he indicated he did, to which police “strongly” objected.
A detective told the court the victim had lost his left eye and received deep cuts to his head, face and back, according to PA. She said police received a report of a serious assault in the Kinnaird Avenue area at 10.30pm on Monday.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the defendant armed with a knife and removed him from on top of the victim, she said.
She also told the court the defendant said “I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead” while in hospital receiving treatment for a hand injury, and told medical staff, “I will kill you”.
Alodid was remanded in custody for four weeks until Wednesday July 8, when he is due to appear by video-link.
East Belfast businesses shut up shop
17:19 , Jane DaltonMost businesses in the Newtownards Road in east Belfast closed their shutters today, fearing further unrest.
Translink cancelled all bus and rail services this evening, also saying it expected more disorder.
Worshippers locked in Glasgow mosque as marchers approached
17:11 , Jane DaltonWorshippers had to be locked in Glasgow’s largest mosque as tensions flared in the city, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said.
Protesters took to the streets in several parts of Scotland, including Glasgow city centre, where some of those involved invoked the memory of murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak. One banner read “white lives matter”.
Videos appear to show violent clashes between those in the protest in Glasgow – as a gang marched through the city centre – and members of the public.
Mr Sarwar told the Press Association that worshippers in Glasgow Central Mosque had to be locked in the building, as marchers appeared to be heading towards the building.
He said many of those marching had been clad in balaclavas and black hoodies, saying their behaviour was “intimidating” to passers-by “particularly those from certain minority backgrounds”.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the scenes were unacceptable.
Second man charged with riot
16:26 , Jane DaltonA 42-year-old man has become the second person to be charged with riot after a night of disorder in Belfast.
He has been charged with riot, attempted criminal damage and assault on a police designated person, police said.
He was due to appear at Belfast magistrates’ court.
Watch: Belfast riots take centre stage at PMQs – analysis
16:22 , Jane DaltonBy our political editor David Maddox and political correspondent Millie Cooke:
Anti-immigration march in Dublin draws hundreds
16:02 , Jane DaltonSeveral hundred people have joined an anti-immigration rally in Dublin, the Irish capital.
According to national broadcaster RTE, traffic and public transport were disrupted and one side of O'Connell Street at the GPO was blocked by the rally.
The organisers called the gathering and march to Leinster House, the seat of the Dail, to call for a referendum on the EU Migration Pact.
