Belfast riots latest: 12 police officers injured and 16 arrested in second night of unrest in Northern Ireland

A second night of unrest in Belfast saw 12 officers injured and 16 people arrested, as police were pelted with bricks and petrol bombs.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has condemned the “racist thuggery” seen in the wake of Monday’s knife attack, saying people were being targeted on the basis of the colour of their skin.

Balaclava-clad young men hurled bricks at police, who responded by firing a water cannon to disperse gathering crowds on Wednesday.

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, condemned the second night of violence and said they were “disgusted” by the response.

Suspect Hadi Alodid appeared at Belfast magistrates’ court charged with attempted murder, threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife.

Key points

12 police officers injured and 16 arrests on Wednesday night
Hilary Benn condemns 'racist thuggery' after second night of unrest
Nurse was chased into hospital in racist attack
Families forced to flee homes and police pelted with bricks in second night of violence
Stabbing victim's family issues statement urging people to end violence
Belfast family ‘traumatised’ after rioters tried to burn down house as children slept in their beds

Bystander who helped stabbing victim says it was 'natural reaction' to step in

10:18 , Harriette Boucher

The “hero” bystander who intervened in Monday’s stabbing said it was “natural reaction” to step in and help.

Maitiu Mag Tighearnan and his friend Andre were driving down Kinnaird Avenue by chance when they saw what they thought was a fight.

“Before I’d even stopped the car, Andre is out straight away,” he told Good Morning Britain. “He was about two or three feet away before he realised, that’s a lot more than what he thought it was, he saw the knife.”

Mr Tighearnan then grabbed the hurling stick from his car and fought off the man attacking the victim.

“There's a man lying there, I just heard 'he's being stabbed', there was blood everywhere. The first thing is that man needs help so it's a natural reaction for me.

“Most people that I know would also do the same.”

He added: “Belfast is that, at the minute with everything going on it gets a bad rep but in north Belfast it's a whole community spirit in place…it's about helping each other.”

Police issue appeal to trace men linked to ‘serious disorder’ in Belfast

10:13 , Harriette Boucher

Nicole Wootton-Cane writes:

Police have issued an urgent appeal to trace two men linked to “serious disorder” in Belfast on Tuesday as the city faced a second night of rioting.

CCTV images of two men have been released as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) continues to hunt down suspects after violence broke out in the city.

Houses were left scorched and families forced to flee after riots broke out in the Northern Irish capital on Tuesday. The violence was sparked after police revealed the man accused of stabbing Stephen Ogilvie on Monday night was an asylum seeker who had come to the UK from Sudan.

Image from: Belfast riots latest: 12 police officers injured and 16 arrested in second night of unrest in Northern Ireland

Police issue appeal to trace men linked to ‘serious disorder’ in Belfast

Is it safe to travel to Belfast? Latest police advice after violent protests hit Northern Irish capital

10:04 , Harriette Boucher

Is it safe to travel to Belfast? Latest police advice after violent protests

Police release images of men connected to 'serious public disorder'

10:00 , Harriette Boucher

A second man was pictured in a puffer gilet (PA)

CCTV images issued by Police Service of Northern Ireland of a man they would like to identify in connection with serious public disorder (PA)

Badenoch 'sorry' knife attack suspect was grant asylum under Tory government

09:51 , Harriette Boucher

Kemi Badenoch has apologised after it was revealed that the suspect in the Belfast knife attack was grant asylum under the Conservative government in 2023.

The Tory leader, who was a minister at the time, told Sky News: “I cannot apologise for things that I did not know were even happening - we're only discovering this now.

“I am sorry that these things happened under a Conservative government, but I need to talk about solutions.

“Apologies aren't going to fix what is happening in our borders right now, and we spent far too much time trying to point fingers, rather than deal with the problem.”

In pictures: Clean up begins on Antrim road after night of unrest

09:44 , Harriette Boucher

Migrant carers taken off shifts after being targeted

09:41 , Harriette Boucher

Migrant workers and carers have been taken off their shifts after being targeted by the riots in Belfast.

Ryan Williams, the chief executive of Connected Health, which provides private homecare services, said they had to move staff from their homes after windows had been broken at one of their locations.

He said: “If you’re a person of any colour, whether you’ve lived here for generations or whether you’ve come here in the last number of years to provide this much needed skilled care, essentially you’re at risk," Belfast Telegraph reported.

“Our carers have been amazing, we haven’t missed a single call, which is just testament to the courage and bravery of our carers out on the ground.”

DUP leader claims more violence took place on Monday than last night

09:26 , Harriette Boucher

The leader of the DUP believes there was “less” violence in Northern Ireland last night than on Monday, when the stabbing took place.

Gavin Robinson told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster that he was against people “abusing our hospitality” and that more needs to be done in “protecting” borders into the UK.

Of the violence, he said: “You cannot raise your concerns about damage to British values and then behave in such an unBritish way.

“Where your neighbours, where your colleagues, where your classmates are sitting intimidated and in fear, are having their homes attacked and their livelihoods destroyed.

“That is totally unacceptable and it is not British.”

Nurse was chased into hospital in racist attack

09:14 , Harriette Boucher

A nurse “with a different skin colour” was chased into the Ulster hospital by four masked men on Wednesday.

Patricia McKeown, who works for Unison, said she still insisted on working her shift, and has since been found alternative accommodation.

She told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme that the unrest in Belfast was “pure and simple” racism.

“This is happening to anyone whether they be nurses or social care workers or working in factories, or living with families across Northern Ireland.

“Everyone has been targeted who has a different skin colour or who comes from overseas, and there is no excuse for any of this, this is racism pure and simple.”

Paramilitary groups involved in Belfast unrest, says trade union sec

08:59 , Harriette Boucher

Paramilitary groups are “undoubtedly” involved in the demonstrations in Belfast, a trade union secretary has claimed.

Patricia McKeown , a regional secretary for Unison, told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster: “I’ve heard a lot of nonsense that it couldn’t possibly be them involved because they’re in transition, in transition to what?”

The chief executive of Connected Health, Ryan Williams also called for “good grace and sense” to allow carers to do a “much needed” job.

He said: “We’ve had to pull people off shift and really get that care out to people who badly need it.

“That’s what people forget, we’re coming to look after your grandparents, your aunts, your uncles, and the necessity to get that care to people, sometimes who see nobody else. It’s really quite incredible.”

Just one asylum seeker was returned to Ireland from UK under post-Brexit deal

08:49 , Harriette Boucher

Our Home Affairs Correspondent Holly Bancroft writes:

Just one asylum seeker was returned from the UK to Ireland under a post-Brexit deal signed in 2020 with ministers pledging to crack down on illegal migrants in Northern Ireland.

Government sources said immigration enforcement will now intensify efforts to track down, detain and remove illegal migrants from Northern Ireland following two days of anti-immigration riots in Belfast.

It emerged this week that Hadi Alodid, the suspect in the Belfast stabbing, claimed asylum in 2023 after travelling across the border from Ireland to Northern Ireland without a valid visa.

He was granted refugee status in the same year and given five years leave to remain in the UK. Alodid came to the UK via the Common Travel Area, which allows UK and Irish citizens to travel freely between Ireland and Northern Ireland without having documents checked.

Just one asylum seeker was returned to Ireland from UK under post-Brexit deal

Terrorism tsar warns online circulation of footage of Belfast attack is 'serious mistake'

08:29 , Millie Cooke

The government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has criticised the circulation online of the footage of Monday’s attack on Stephen Ogilvie in Belfast, describing it as a “serious mistake”.

Writing in The Times, Jonathan Hall KC said: "It is interesting to me that the mass circulation of the appalling footage has almost been accepted as a public good.

"As someone who has met young terrorists, and come to understand the role that images of gore and real-life horror play in revving people up for violence, as they did with Axel Rudakubana, the Southport attacker, I think this is a serious mistake.

"No one needs to see the footage to understand what happened, least of all children, or those who are already becoming fixated with violence.”

Individual human rights ‘butt up against collective national security’, terrorism tsar warns

08:23 , Millie Cooke

Individual human rights can "butt up against collective national security”, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has warned in the wake of Monday’s attack in Northern Ireland.

Writing in The Times, he explained that migrants from war-torn countries "may well have participated in or been exposed to violence”, and that “experience of trauma or exposure to violence is a factor when assessing the risk of future violence”.

This, he said, makes way for “deeply difficult policy choices: for example, an individual who has suffered or participated in clan-based violence in a war-torn region may have a strong claim to humanitarian protection for that reason. At an individual level, they may have a good moral claim and also, as the law stands, a legal right.

"But they may also present a risk, which must be managed. It is glib not to recognise that individual human rights butt up against collective national security, and that our current legal frameworks do not always resolve that tension in a way that seems fair to most people.”

Social media fuelled disorder is 'really complex', says police chief

08:16 , Harriette Boucher

Social media fuelled disorder is a new phenomenon and “really complex”, the head of Britain’s biggest police force has said.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if such disorder could be a serious problem this summer, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Mark Rowley said: “It’s really complex.

“We’ve got established ways with government and other agencies to sort of monitor that and of course we’re ready for any disorder, but it is challenging.”

He added: “This wasn’t something we were thinking about four or five years ago, and now it’s right at the centre of the challenges for us with public disorder, the misinformation, disinformation whips this up, and of course, on top of that, you’ve got sort of polarised debate in this country, which comes from more and more extreme perspectives, and that makes life harder.”

Sir Mark said the disorder in Belfast was “deeply disturbing”.

“I mean, seeing the apparent targeting of homes of ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland, with some of that arson, et cetera, that looks ghastly,” he said.

In pictures: Anti-immigration demonstrations continue into Wednesday day

08:13 , Harriette Boucher

Police use water cannon as they block the road from protesters leading to a hotel previously believed to house migrants, an Antrim Road in Glengormley (AFP/Getty)

Breaking: 12 police officers injured and 16 arrests on Wednesday night

08:07 , Harriette Boucher

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.

Government won't take action over Musk's X for posts inciting violence

08:06 , Harriette Boucher

Elon Musk’s X will not face any action from the UK government to remove posts that have incited violence in Belfast for at least two months.

UK officials have hit out at misinformation spreading on social media platforms, including X, in the wake of Monday’s stabbing.

Labour chair Anna Turley said Mr Musk was “grievously wrong and doing damage.”

Action could eventually be taken if minister amend the Online Safety Act and require social media firms to act more quickly to remove inflammatory content during such events.

However, if the amendment goes ahead it will not come into force until mid-July at the earliest.

Hilary Benn condemns 'racist thuggery' after second night of unrest

07:59 , Harriette Boucher

The Northern Ireland Secretary has hit out at the “racist thuggery” seen in the wake of the Belfast knife attack.

Asked on Sky News whether these were racist riots rather than protests, Hilary Benn said: “Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of the colour of their skin how else can you describe them? That is racist thuggery, there’s no question about it at all.”

Mr Benn also said ethnic minority people in the region were concerned whether they would be targeted next, adding: “We’ve had reports of people being stopped in their cars to be asked what their nationality is on their way to work, and this is completely unacceptable.”

Families forced to flee homes and police pelted with bricks in second night of violence

07:50 , Harriette Boucher

A second night of unrest broke out in Northern Ireland on Wednesday night, as rioters took to the streets to cause widespread destruction.

The demonstration saw police pelted with bricks and petrol bomb, and homes further damaged.

Footage showed dozens of balaclava-clad men dressed gathering on Antrim Road, tearing bricks from properties and smashing paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at police.

Protestors also attempted to set a derelict property near a petrol station in Newtownabbey on fire.

Several more residents were forced to flee their homes amid the violence and two hundred extra police officers were deployed on the streets.

Public transport was suspended and some schools closed early in Northern Ireland on Wednesday amid fears of a second night of violence.

Mr Ogilvie’s family said they felt “disgusted” by the violence, and said they did not want Monday’s stabbing to stoke division.

Met Police watching Northern Ireland unrest closely, Mark Rowley says

07:48 , Millie Cooke

Sir Mark Rowley said the Met Police is watching the unrest in Northern Ireland closely, warning that "extreme rhetoric" is "driving some of this activity".

The head of Britain's biggest police force also told GB News that police officers “don’t enjoy being a political football in the culture wars that so frequently dominate public debate”.

“All they want to do out do is go out, take on criminals, protect victims and they’re out there day in and day out protecting fear or favour, and they need that public support rather than being at the centre of this sort of battle of culture wars from either side", he said.

Asked whether he was concerned that violence and disorder could be more widespread, Sir Mark said: “So I really feel for colleagues in Police Service in Northern Ireland, they’re really dealing with some very challenging situations on the street. Of course, there’s been a couple of very contentious incidents.

“There’s public debate about those, but we see some of the extreme rhetoric that tends to sort of be more and more common in public debate now, driving some of this activity. We saw it, didn’t we, with Southport, where extreme rhetoric and online commentary led to disorder.

“So we’re paying close attention to it. We’ll be able to deal with anything that does happen.”

Police use water cannon on protesters in second night of unrest in Northern Ireland

07:39 , Harriette Boucher

Asylum scheme that helped suspect gain entry to UK no longer exists

07:38 , Harriette Boucher

The fast-track asylum scheme under which the suspect in the Belfast knife attack was reportedly granted asylum in the UK is no longer in operation, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.

Hadi Alodid, as a Sudanese national, was able to stay in Britain in 2023 after filling in a questionnaire rather than facing the standard interview, the Daily Mail reported.

Hilary Benn told Times Radio: “That was a process that was put in place by the last government.”

Asked whether it still exists now, he said: “Well it does not, because that fast-track process doesn’t operate, because the last government lost control of immigration.

“As you know, net migration is down 82 per cent now, compared to the peak reached under the last government as a result of a number of steps that we have taken.”

“And because we now have dealt with the asylum backlog, we’re processing the cases quicker.”

Mr Benn added that asylum seekers are now “properly processed” in order for a decision to be made on whether they should be granted asylum.

Disorder in Northern Ireland is 'racist thuggery', minister says

07:38 , Millie Cooke

The Northern Ireland secretary has dubbed the scenes in Northern Ireland "racist thuggery" after reports that people were stopped in their cars and asked where they come from.

Asked whether he believes these are racist riots rather than protests, he said: "Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of the colour of their skin, how else can you describe them? That is racist thuggery, there is no question about it at all. Because we are a society where - as Martin Luther King famously said - we should judge people by the content of their character and not by the colour of their skin.

"These are people who have come to Northern Ireland and settled - someone was forced out of their home, they'd been living here for 20 years. They're working in the health service, they're working in industry, they are colleagues and friends of people who have been born and brought up in Northern Ireland and there is no place for this whatsoever.

"And I hope the fact that we saw less disorder last night is because some people are reflecting on what they saw and the sheer horror and awfulness of it."

Family of stabbing victim issues statement urging people to end violence

07:31 , Harriette Boucher

The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost an eye in Monday’s stabbing, have urged for an end to the violence.

As rioting took place for a second night on Wednesday, they asked people not to let the “terrible tragedy” fuel hostility.

“We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue,” the statement read.

“This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover.

“We have witnessed a lot of false information circulating on social media which is 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.

“We have been left feeling disgusted by the scenes that unfolded yesterday across Northern Ireland in the wake of what happened. 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.

“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.

“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.”

Rioters 'manipulating genuinely held concern' about immigration, NI's deputy first minister says

07:17 , Stephanie Cockroft

The deputy first minister of Northern Ireland has said some people participating in violence and disorder across the country following a stabbing are “trying to manipulate a genuinely held concern” about immigration.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Emma Little-Pengelly said: “I think last night has been not as severe as it was on the previous night, that is welcome, but of course we have still seen some of that violence and disorder, and that is absolutely wrong, and we of course have been united and calling for that to stop immediately.”

She added: “What some of these elements that want to create this type of disorder and violence are trying to do is to manipulate a genuinely held concern by many people, a frustration by many people.”

Ms Little-Pengelly said the alleged attacker Hadi Alodid, 30, is believed to have travelled to Northern Ireland via a number of different countries, including the Republic of Ireland.

“That is an issue that I have raised to the UK government around the concerns about that immigration coming through from the Irish Republic,” she said.

“So, of course, these need to be taken seriously. I emphasised that again yesterday when I spoke to the immigration minister, because it is bubbling. There is a frustration and anger.

“People are absolutely sick of not being listened to by the government, and I’ve said time and time again that politics must work. People must feel that the system that is in place can protect them and can protect community safety.”

Rioting breaks out for second night as Belfast attack victim’s family react with ‘disgust’

07:00 , James Reynolds

Rioting broke out in Northern Ireland for a second night following a knife attack in Belfast with masked protesters lighting fires and hurling bricks at police, who responded by firing water cannons.

The chaos unfolded in Glengormley in Newtownabbey, north west Belfast, just hours after the family of the attack victim, Stephen Ogilvie, appealed for calm in the wake of the torching of homes and vehicles across the city on Tuesday.

Despite pleas from Mr Ogilvie’s family and the drafting in of 200 extra police officers to deal with any disorder, videos shared on social media first showed masked gangs attempting to march to a hotel in Glengormley, where they were met with riot police.

Pushed back down Antrim Road, the protesters dressed in black broke up parts of the pavement and the walls of suburban homes to throw objects at the police, who responded with water cannons, soaking those who got close.

Rioting breaks out for second night as attack victim’s family react with ‘disgust’

Recap: Family of victim insist 'We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide'

06:30 , James Reynolds

In 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.

Protestors throw things at Police blocking them from a road leading to a hotel previously believed to house migrants, in Glengormley (AFP/Getty)

“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.”

Recap: A second night of bedlam in Belfast as family urge calm

06:00 , James Reynolds

Protesters in Northern Ireland wrought havoc for a second night on Wednesday, lighting fires and hurling bricks at police, who responded by firing water cannon.

- Most of the clashes occurred as demonstrators confronted the police around the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey to the north west of Belfast.

- Protesters were seen tearing bricks from properties and smashing paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at riot police. They also took taking wheelie bins from outside homes and lit fires in them.

- Balaclava-clad rioters also broke open a metal fence to access the Sandyknowes Wastewater Pumping Station and removed a garden fence to use as a shield against the police water cannon.

- In Derry, police reported items having been set alight on the Ardmore Road.

- The family of the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, appealed for calm and said they were ‘disgusted’ by the protests. They stressed they do not want what happened to divide people.

- Earlier, suspect Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared in court charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack in which victim Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye.

Government to intensify immigration enforcement in Northern Ireland

05:30 , James Reynolds

A 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.

Hadi Alodid: Man charged over Belfast stabbing was asylum seeker who came to UK from Sudan

05:00 , James Reynolds

A Sudanese man named as Hadi Alodid has been charged over a knife attack in Northern Ireland that left one person in a serious condition in Belfast.

The 30-year-old appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost his left eye, and sustained deep cuts to his head, face and back during the alleged attack on Monday, police said.

He was also charged with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer on the same day and with the possession of a knife.

Man charged over Belfast stabbing was asylum seeker who came to UK from Sudan

Belfast family ‘traumatised’ after rioters tried to burn down house as children slept in their beds

04:30 , James Reynolds

Terrorised families have been forced to flee their homes after violent and racist rioting saw migrants targeted in response to a street stabbing in Belfast.

Several people had to risk their lives to escape their houses on Tuesday night after protests turned violent, with homes and cars set alight.

The unrest came after Stephen Ogilvie lost an eye and was left with serious neck and back injuries after he was stabbed in north Belfast on Monday night.

Family ‘traumatised’ after rioters tried to burn down house as children slept in beds

‘Hero’ bystander who fought off Belfast knifeman with hurling stick ‘glad’ he intervened

04:00 , James Reynolds

A “hero” bystander who bravely intervened in a knife attack in Belfast said he was trying to “protect a young lad” and was glad he stood up to the attacker.

Maitiu Mag Tighearnan has been praised for his actions after he bravely used a hurling stick to fight off a man attacking the victim, who suffered serious injuries to his eyes, neck and back, in north Belfast on Monday night.

More than £18,000 has been raised to show support for the 32-year-old father and “buy him a pint”.

In a social media post, Mr Tighearnan said he “just landed there by chance” and managed to “protect a young lad”.

Read the full story:

‘Hero’ who fought Belfast knifeman with hurling stick ‘glad’ to help

Comment: After the Belfast riots, the Irish border is back to haunt Brexit

03:30 , James Reynolds

The 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 Dalton

Social 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 Reynolds

People 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 Reynolds

Stephen Ogilvie in hospital in a stable condition after Monday's attack

01:30 , James Reynolds

The 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 A cyclist rides past a burnt car and a boarded up house, in the aftermath of anti-immigrant protests in east Belfast on Wednesday (Reuters)

A cyclist rides past a burnt car and a boarded up house, in the aftermath of anti-immigrant protests in east Belfast on Wednesday (Reuters)

Belfast stabbing victim’s family condemn riots and plead: ‘Don’t use tragedy to fuel hostility’

Thursday 11 June 2026 00:30 , James Reynolds

The 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

Thursday 11 June 2026 00:15 , James Reynolds

Northern 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

Wednesday 10 June 2026 23:57 , James Reynolds

In 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

Wednesday 10 June 2026 23:47 , James Reynolds

The 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'

Wednesday 10 June 2026 23:19 , James Reynolds