New night of violence in Belfast with anti-immigration protests – Police used water cannons
The police in Northern Ireland deployed water cannons on Wednesday night (June 10, 2026), as anti-immigration protests entered their second consecutive night following the charging of a Sudanese man for attempted murder after a brutal knife attack. Videos circulated on social media showed protesters throwing objects at police vehicles, while law enforcement responded with water cannons in Newtownabbey, approximately 13 kilometers north of Belfast city center. The new unrest followed a night of widespread incidents, during which hooded individuals set fire to homes and vehicles in a wave of anti-immigration violence that spread after footage of the knife attack was published.
Homes and vehicles in flames
Crowds gathered on Tuesday in various areas of Belfast, the largest city in Northern Ireland, setting fire to residences, buses, cars, and makeshift barricades, forcing several families to flee their homes. Political officials argued that the rioters targeted residences belonging to members of ethnic minorities. British government minister Ruth Anderson told the House of Lords that dozens of people, including a two-year-old child, were left homeless due to the escalation of violence. "A total of 27 people were left homeless last night because some went door-to-door targeting foreigners and burning their homes. I can only imagine the terror they experienced," she stated. Local pastor Jack McKee told the BBC that members of his parish, "who have been with us for 20 years," were forced to flee. "They were attacked in their homes, their windows were smashed, neighboring houses were burned. They are being driven out just because they are Black," he noted.
Starmer: "They will face the full force of the law"
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that "it is clear that people were targeted because of their origin." "Those responsible will face the full force of the law," he wrote in a post on the platform X. The incidents of Tuesday, during which two police officers were injured, caused intense concern in local communities. Naomi, a Muslim resident near north Belfast, told CNN that she was afraid to send her children to school and had to pick up her son early following racist comments he received from classmates. "My daughter is the only girl in her class who wears a hijab. I was worried when I left them at school, but I thought there should be some normalcy. In the end, I wish I hadn't sent them," she said.
Protests in other cities as well
Smaller gatherings took place in other British cities, such as Bangor, Glasgow, and London, where groups of far-right protesters clashed with police shouting anti-immigration slogans. In Glasgow, two police officers and three citizens were injured, with the police reporting that "members of the public were attacked due to the color of their skin." In anticipation of a potential new escalation, authorities announced that an additional 200 police officers would be deployed on the streets, while some schools in Belfast closed early and public transport was scheduled to temporarily suspend operations.
"People are deeply terrified"
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reported that citizens are in a state of "extreme psychological distress" as residential addresses were shared via social media and messaging applications. "This is unacceptable. It puts lives at risk and must stop," the police emphasized. Authorities warned that those who publish personal data with the intent of putting others in danger may be committing a criminal offense. Ofcom, the British media regulator, stated that it has warned online platforms that they are at risk of being used to incite hatred and violence. At the same time, concerns were expressed about messages on WhatsApp that encouraged participation in the incidents. One of them called on men over 18 years old to be "ready to either fight or be arrested."
The knife attack that sparked the rage
The protests broke out after the police announced that they had charged a 30-year-old Sudanese man with attempted murder, following a knife attack that occurred the previous evening and was recorded by a passerby. In the video, a man is seen pinning a bloodied victim to the ground and stabbing him repeatedly until bystanders and police managed to disarm him. The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, lost his left eye, while suffering wounds to his other eye, back, and face, according to what was heard in court. Keir Starmer described the attack as "horrific."
Victim's family asks for calm
The family of Stephen Ogilvie appealed for the violence to stop. "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility," they said in a statement. In a later statement, they underscored: "Do not do this in the name of our loved one, because we do not share these values." The accused, Hadi Alodid, appeared before the court facing charges of attempted murder, threats to the life of an NHS worker, and possession of a knife. The judge denied him bail. Police stated that Hadi Alodid traveled from Paris to Dublin and entered Northern Ireland in February 2023. He submitted an asylum request and was allowed to remain legally in the United Kingdom until 2028. Authorities clarified that, based on current evidence, there are no indications of a terrorist connection to the attack. Stephen Ogilvie remains hospitalized, with his family emphasizing that "our only priority is to be by his side and help him recover." "We want to make it absolutely clear that the nightly riots are not acceptable and that peaceful protest is the only way forward," they added.
Elon Musk at the center of political controversy
Anti-immigration and far-right accounts on social media, mainly on the platform X, utilized the video of the attack to call for new mobilizations. Billionaire Elon Musk was among the American conservative commentators who supported the protests. "Only with repeated and loud protests will there be change," he wrote, reposting a call by Tommy Robinson for nationwide gatherings. Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long accused those fueling tension online of "instrumentalizing the pain and agony of others" to promote anti-immigration narratives. "I don't believe many of them, including Elon Musk, really care about Northern Ireland and its communities," she told CNN. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill spoke of groups of hooded individuals "burning families inside their homes," characterizing the incidents as "raw thug violence." "Racism, intimidation, and violence are wrong wherever they manifest," she stressed.
Tension in the rest of the United Kingdom
The attack occurs at a time of increased racial tensions in Britain, with anti-immigration rhetoric being reinforced by far-right personalities and social media, both inside and outside the country. Last year, Northern Ireland experienced similar incidents in Ballymena, after charges against two teenagers of Romanian descent for the sexual assault of a minor. The charges against them were later dropped. The new wave of violence brings to the forefront the deep social tensions surrounding migration, public safety, and the role of social media in shaping the public climate in the United Kingdom.
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