Belfast riots spread to second night as police deploy water cannons

Police in Northern Ireland fired water cannons Wednesday on rioters hurling projectiles at officers in Newtownabbey, as anti-immigrant unrest fueled by a viral knife attack entered its second consecutive night near Belfast.

Police said 16 people were arrested and two were charged following the night’s disorder. Twelve officers were injured, some by petrol bombs, the PSNI said.

The unrest followed a night of widespread rioting Tuesday in which masked protesters torched homes and vehicles across Belfast after footage of a brutal knife attack circulated on social media. Crowds set houses, a bus, cars and barricades ablaze and forced several families to flee, according to CNN. Politicians said the rioters had specifically targeted the homes of ethnic minorities.

U.K. minister Ruth Anderson told the House of Lords on Wednesday that at least 27 people had been made homeless, including a 2-year-old child, because rioters went door to door targeting foreign nationals. “I can only imagine their terror,” she said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, writing on X that people had been “targeted last night because of their background” and that those responsible “will feel the full force of the law.”

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill described groups of masked men as “burning families out of their homes” in scenes of “outright thuggery.”

The chaos was sparked after police on Tuesday charged Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national, with attempted murder in connection with a stabbing the previous evening. The attack, which was filmed by a bystander and spread rapidly online, left victim Stephen Ogilvie blind in one eye and with wounds to his other eye, back and face, a detective told the court Wednesday, according to PA Media. Mr. Alodid was also charged with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife, and was refused bail.

Police said Mr. Alodid flew from Paris to Dublin and entered Northern Ireland in February 2023. He claimed asylum upon arrival and was permitted to reside in the United Kingdom until 2028. Authorities said there is no evidence linking the attack to terrorism.

Mr. Ogilvie’s family appealed for the violence to cease, saying in a statement: “We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.” In a second statement, the family added: “Do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values.”

Social media played a significant role in stoking tensions. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said community members were left “extremely distressed” after their home addresses were shared on social media and messaging apps. Police warned that sharing personal information with intent to endanger others “may be committing a criminal offense.” U.K. media regulator Ofcom said it had warned online service providers that their platforms risked being used to incite hatred and provoke violence.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk was among those amplifying calls for further demonstrations, reposting a call for nationwide rallies from Tommy Robinson, a far-right agitator with multiple criminal convictions. Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said those inflaming tensions online were “weaponizing other people’s pain and distress.” Addressing Mr. Musk directly, she said: “The young people who were on streets yesterday, Elon Musk has done nothing for them other than allow their mouths to become radicalised by the wild west he has created on X.”

Smaller protests also broke out Tuesday night in Bangor, Glasgow and London. Two police officers and three members of the public were injured in Glasgow, where police said people were attacked because of the color of their skin.

In anticipation of further disorder Wednesday, police deployed an extra 200 officers and some Belfast schools closed early, while public transport was set to halt.