Summary

  • A water cannon was deployed to disperse a large crowd in Co Antrim during a second night of unrest prompted by a serious knife attack in Belfast on Monday

  • Riot police came under sustained attack from a group throwing bricks, bottles and pieces of wood, with 12 officers being injured and 16 arrests made

  • Hilary Benn, the UK secretary of state for Northern Ireland, says a sense of fear "has spread amongst ethnic minority people" in Northern Ireland after the nights of violence

  • Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has called on people to not get "carried away with a tide" of views online

  • On Wednesday, a 30-year-old, originally from Sudan, appeared in court charged with attempted murder over a Belfast knife attack that caused serious injuries to victim Stephen Ogilvie

  • Ogilvie's family released statements saying he was in a stable condition and calling for calm

  1. What has happened so far?published at 09:24 BST

    Media caption,

    Torched homes and vehicles: Destruction after Belfast unrest

    8 June, 22:30 BST: A 30-year-old Sudanese man - later named as Hadi Alodid - is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a knife attack in Belfast on Monday night. Footage begins to circulate on social media of the attack.

    9 June: Police Service Northern Ireland say the victim has suffered significant injuries to his eyes, back and face.

    9 June, 19:30: Protestors start to gather on streets and block roads in Northern Ireland. Some have been peaceful protests, but by 21:30 police say they’re dealing with “sporadic pockets of disorder”.

    A bus is set on fire on Newtownards Road in Belfast and elsewhere cars are set alight and houses targeted by stone-throwers. In another scene, about 100 masked men kicked in doors and broke windows down, saying they were “getting the foreigners out”.

    By 22:45, multiple homes are set on fire, and families including a two-month-old baby and a 70-year-old man with dementia are evacuated. Overnight, the fire service attended 62 incidents, mostly in the greater Belfast area.

    Protests also take place elsewhere in the country: in Glasgow, where Police Scotland say five people were injured, and also in Edinburgh, Ayr, and Southampton.

    10 June: Alodid appears in court charged with attempted murder, as well as possession of a knife in a public place and threats to kill an NHS worker. The victim of the knife attack is named in court as Stephen Ogilvie, and his family say the disorder is “not welcome”.

    10 June, 20:00: Police use water canon to disperse protesters after about 200 people gather in Glengormley, eight miles north west of Belfast city centre. Some individuals damaged properties to throw objects towards police.

    Disorder breaks out elsewhere, but is subdued compared to Tuesday night.

    11 June: This morning, the UK secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn, says a sense of fear "has spread amongst ethnic minority people" after nights of violence.

  2. Police release images of disorder suspectspublished at 09:14 BST

    The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has released images of people they would like to speak to, external in connection with the serious public disorder in Belfast on Tuesday.

    They are asking the public if they can help identify the individuals and are also appealing to those pictured to come forward to police themselves.

    "Anyone who can assist in identifying this person, please contact police. If you have any information or wish to submit photos and footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dash-cam footage please contact police," the PSNI said.

  3. Social media agitators accused of stoking 'flames of disorder'published at 09:04 BST

    Rowley's comments come as political leaders and the family of the knifing victim warn of messaging on social media fuelling the violence.

    Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn says "people who live a long, long way from Northern Ireland" and know nothing about the country are "trying to stoke and fan the flames of this disorder".

    Asked whether he is referring to Elon Musk, Benn says: "I'm talking about all of those who are responsible for social media platforms."

    Alongside their calls for calm on Wednesday, knifing victim Stephen Ogilvie's family also said they had been forced to clarify that he was in a stable condition after witnessing "a lot of false information circulating on social media".

    It followed a statement from police warning against "totally unacceptable" social media posts, with some "putting lives at risk" by posting address details online. The homes of foreign nationals were targeted on Tuesday night.

  4. Met Police boss closely watching 'deeply disturbing' scenes in Northern Irelandpublished at 08:58 BST

    Sir Mark Rowley is pictured speaking, while wearing his police uniform.Image source, PA Media

    London's top police officer says he is monitoring the "disturbing scenes" from Northern Ireland, while his force is keenly aware of the risk of social media-fuelled disorder.

    While the violence has centred on Belfast and surrounding areas, Sir Mark Rowley tells the BBC's Today programme there is an ongoing risk from extremist online commentary - particularly from young men who become "violence-fixated individuals".

    "They are wading through Islamist beheadings, right-wing violence, school shooting videos from America, misogynistic violence online, and they're not adopting an ideology, they're just becoming obsessed with the subject of violence," he says.

    The Met Police commissioner adds that the risk of violence is also being driven in part online by "malign factors overseas".

    "This is quite a difficult issue, where other countries want to sow disorder on the streets of the UK," he says.

  5. 'Fear and terror was brought to a peaceful community,' Alliance Party MLA tells BBCpublished at 08:53 BST

    John Blair, wearing a blue shirt and dark grey jacket. He is standing in front of a river with a blue sky above.

    Alliance Party MLA for South Antrim, John Blair, earlier spoke to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme about what he described as a "rampage of violence and destruction" on the streets of Glengormley last night.

    "The actions of those involved when they were prevented from reaching their intended target tells me that their intention was never peaceful," Blair said. "Fear and terror was brought to a peaceful community."

    He said there was "some degree of coordination" behind the protests.

    "We all need to be careful with our language around what is sometimes called 'peaceful protest'," he said. "Protest is not peaceful if a local business or a local facility has been advised or instructed to close in order to facilitate that protest."

  6. What the residents are waking up to this morningpublished at 08:39 BST

    Claire Graham
    BBC News NI

    The burnt remains of a car on it's roof on a residential street

    Residents are waking up to scenes of destruction on their doorsteps in Glengormley, just outside of Belfast.

    The charred remains of burnt-out cars, furniture and wheelie bins are left after protesters set them alight in a standoff with police on the Antrim Road last night.

    Broken masonry, bricks, bottles scatter across the road. Chunks of paving ripped up from driveways lie discarded.

    And then there is a burnt-out home, understood to have been derelict. The roof has disappeared, the chimneys charred and blackened. It sits between two homes, in an area where elderly people live alongside young families. There were fears the blaze would catch neighbouring properties.

    One resident said she was "disgusted", describing the fire lit outside her home as "terrifying", with youths gathering in her front garden. She said didn’t know what they’d do next, adding she was too scared to even look at the window.

  7. Care provider says migrant staff moved from homes and taken off shifts due to safetypublished at 08:28 BST

    Ryan Williams, CEO of Connected Health, a provider of private homecare services, says the entire health and social care system in Northern Ireland is "very reliant" on skilled migrants carers and nurses.

    He says windows have been broken at one of their locations, they have had to move staff from their homes and have had to take staff off shifts.

    "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," Williams says.

    “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, but it hasn’t been without its challenge, for sure."

  8. Nurse 'with different skin colour' chased into hospital by masked men, union sayspublished at 08:21 BST

    Trade union Unison says it has been helping "terrified" health workers from overseas after receiving reports of them being followed to and from work, being intimidated or becoming afraid to leave their homes.

    Patricia McKeown, regional secretary with Unison, tells Good Morning Ulster that when the "horrific" incident happened in north Belfast on Monday night, they saw "the call to arms on social media we knew immediately our members from overseas were going to be under threat".

    "We went to the mode we normally go into to try protect people. [We] negotiated with employers, we talked about the need for protection to and from work and for alternative shift arrangements and, indeed, for accommodation where necessary," McKeown says.

    She says that yesterday evening, a nurse with "a different skin colour was chased into the Ulster Hospital by four masked men".

    Despite experiencing the trauma of that incident, McKeown says, the nurse "insisted on doing her shift".

    "There is no excuse for any of this. This is racism, pure and simple."

  9. Twelve police officers injured in second night of disorderpublished at 08:14 BST

    More from Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, who says twelve police officers were injured during a second night of disorder.

    He also says 16 arrests were made during the unrest.

  10. Police officers injured by petrol bombs, NI Policing Board chair sayspublished at 08:11 BST

    Brendan MullanImage source, PA Media

    The chair of the NI Policing Board, Brendan Mullan, says police officers are “stretched”.

    "The police service has currently 6,300 officers against a recognised need for 7,500 so it lacks resilience," he tells Good Morning Ulster.

    He says there have been a “small number” of officers injured through petrol bombs in Carrickfergus and there will be a briefing with the chief constable later today to determine if any officers were injured last night.

    He tells the programme there have been meetings between the police and ethnic minority community representatives and there will be another meeting later this evening.

  11. Benn says UK increasing border enforcement but alleged attacker is 'individual case'published at 08:03 BST

    Asked about the alleged attacker's travel route into the UK, Benn says the government is increasing enforcement against abuse of the common travel area that allows travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    "We are determined to do more to crack down on illegal migration, and that is why you will see more raids and more detentions," he says.

    Benn says a previous system that fast-tracked asylum applications from Sudanese people through a questionnaire is no longer in place, "and anyone who applies now is properly processed".

    He stresses that Monday's stabbing was an individual case and the alleged attacker is responsible, "not people who come from Sudan or other countries".

    "We have a long and honourable tradition in this country of giving shelter to people who are fleeing war and persecution, and we should be proud of that as a nation."

    • The alleged attacker, who is a Sudanese asylum seeker, is understood to have travelled from Sudan to Paris and then on to Dublin, where he caught a bus to Belfast
  12. Northern Ireland police receiving help from Police Scotland, Benn sayspublished at 07:54 BST

    Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn says the Northern Ireland police service will be receiving assistance from Police Scotland. This will include dog teams "to help with public order control". These sorts of arrangements are "well established", he says.

    On suggestions some social media users have been sharing addresses to target online, Benn says: "I'm certainly aware that happened last year in Ballymena."

    He says it is "completely unacceptable", adding that social media companies have a "very heavy responsibility". That's why the government is going to bring forward new powers next week to make clear that social media companies need to take down illegal content, he adds.

  13. NI secretary of state says ethnic minorities have been left 'terrified'published at 07:45 BST

    Hilary Benn, the UK secretary of state for Northern Ireland, says thankfully there was less disorder last night and he hopes that means "people are reflecting on the truly shocking scenes we saw on Tuesday night, with people being burnt out of their homes because of the colour of their skin".

    "There is no justification for that, and nothing can explain it away, and it's left a lot of people terrified."

    Benn tells the BBC's Breakfast programme that he wants to convey the sense of fear among people from ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.

    "They've heard about, for example, people being stopped in their cars on the way to work to ask what their nationality is."

    Hilary Benn, the UK secretary of state for Northern Ireland, speaking from an office with a city skyline in the background.
  14. Don't be carried away with 'tide' of views online, police saypublished at 07:43 BST

    Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, has called on people to not get "carried away with a tide" of views online and be "persuaded by people who know nothing about Northern Ireland".

    Police have also warned that social media posts sharing addresses are "totally unacceptable" and may be a criminal offence.

    Members of the community have been left "extremely distressed as a result of this reckless activity", they say, adding that it is "putting lives at risk". They say they will be investigating posts.

    Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said it is now down to people who have participated in disorder to decide whether they want to continue to "leave children absolutely terrified as they're taken out into the dark with flames and screaming around them".

  15. Wednesday's disorder not on scale of Tuesday's violencepublished at 07:38 BST

    While water cannon were deployed and additional officers drafted in, Wednesday's disorder was not on the same scale as Tuesday's violence which saw people flee their homes.

    Cabinet Office minister Baroness Anderson told the Lords 27 people had been made homeless on Tuesday night "because people went door-to-door to try and target foreign nationals".

    A two-month-old baby was among those rescued during Tuesday's violence, the Police Service of Northern Ireland's chief constable said.

    Two police officers were also injured.

    It came after groups of masked men set fire to houses, a bus and cars, mostly in Belfast. Petrol bombs were also thrown at police in a number of locations.

  16. Sledgehammer taken to property as objects hurled at policepublished at 07:30 BST

    Footage from Sandyknowes roundabout, an area north west of Belfast, shows people damaging property and throwing objects toward police officers.

    One person can be seen in the footage wielding a sledge hammer against a driveway, while others remove parts of the bricked surface.

    Media caption,

    Protesters damage property and hurl bricks at police

  17. Further violence took place despite victim's family calling for calmpublished at 07:21 BST

    Riot police responding to a large crowd in Belfast, with a fire in the middle ground.Image source, Getty Images

    Following Tuesday night's disorder, the family of knifing victim Stephen Ogilvie on Wednesday called for restraint.

    "We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward," the family said.

    "We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work."

    They said they did not want this "terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility".

    Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, has lost his left eye and has damage to his right eye, along with injuries to his neck and back.

    Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old originally from Sudan, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder.

  18. Bricks, bottles and pieces of wood thrown at policepublished at 07:05 BST

    Police fire a water cannon after attack at Sandyknowes roundaboutImage source, PA Media

    Police in Belfast used a water cannon to disperse a large crowd at the Sandyknowes roundabout in Glengormley - about eight miles (13km) north-west of Belfast city centre - to disperse a large crowd after a second night of disorder in Northern Ireland.

    Riot police came under sustained attack from a group throwing bricks, bottles and pieces of wood.

    Additional officers were drafted in but Wednesday's disorder was not on the same scale as Tuesday's violence.

    An aerial view of the water cannon in action. It is pushing back people who have gathered on the road. There are trees and houses on either side of the road.

    Footage showed dozens of people dressed all in black and wearing face coverings tearing up the driveways and fences of nearby houses to use as missiles.

    A large Department for Infrastructure vehicle was seen in flames, and bins were set on fire.

    The crowd attempted to set fire to a derelict property in the same area, with some throwing petrol bombs at police lines.

    There have been protests elsewhere in Northern Ireland but they have been largely peaceful.

  19. 'They're destroying their own communities,' NI deputy first minister tells BBCpublished at 07:01 BST

    Emma Little-Pengelly is pictured speaking to the BBC on a video livestream from what appears to be her home, with pictures on the wall in the background.

    Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly says the violent scenes from Belfast have "appalled and horrified absolutely everyone".

    She tells the BBC's Breakfast programme that while some peaceful protesters do have legitimate concerns, others seem determined to cause "violence, thuggery and disorder".

    "That is absolutely wrong," she says. "We of course have been united in calling for that to stop immediately."

    In response to a question about people being targeted because of the colour of their skin, Little-Pengelly says she strongly condemns those motivated by racism.

    "All they are doing is destroying their own communities, and they are destroying the very cause that they claim to be supporting."

  20. Water cannon deployed on rioters in second night of Belfast unrestpublished at 06:47 BST

    Police deploy a water cannon against rioters in Belfast.Image source, PA Media

    Belfast is waking following another night of violent unrest which saw police deploy a water cannon against black-clad rioters in Northern Ireland's capital.

    Wednesday's violence came after crowds of masked men set fire to homes, cars and a bus the previous day following a serious knife attack in Belfast on Monday night.

    Hadi Alodid, 30, originally from Sudan, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder. The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who suffered serious injuries in the attack, appealed for calm on the streets, urging against the incident being "used to divide people or fuel hostility".

    They echoed calls from Northern Irish and UK leaders, with the prime minister calling acts of violence and arson "unjustified".

    BBC's Breakfast programme is hearing from Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly, with Hilary Benn, the UK secretary of state for Northern Ireland, also expected to speak soon.

    We'll bring you their latest comments here.