Water cannon deployed as anti-immigration riots erupt again in Northern Ireland

Police fired water cannon near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey after crowds gathered and missiles were thrown at officers, as a second night of disorder over a stabbing in north Belfast pushed Northern Ireland closer to sustained street conflict. A large vehicle was seen burning near the junction, while masked protesters in black were filmed breaking paving stones with sledgehammers and ripping bricks from properties to use as projectiles.

The unrest was triggered by the knife attack on Monday, 8 June 2026, in north Belfast that left Stephen Ogilvie seriously injured. His family said he was in a stable condition and warned against “false information” online, urging people not to use the attack to fuel hostility. In court, the suspect identified in reporting, Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, appeared charged with attempted murder.

Police and ministers have linked the violence to anti-immigration protests that quickly hardened into racist attacks on ethnic minorities. Homes, cars, a bus and barricades were set alight during the first night of disorder, and the violence spread beyond Belfast into Newtownabbey, about 13km northwest of the city centre. PSNI officers also reported unrest in Derry/Londonderry, while reports of activity emerged in Greenock in Scotland.

The pressure on the wider community was immediate. Public transport was suspended and some schools closed early because of fears of further violence, as the PSNI put an extra 200 officers on the streets to try to hold the line. Two men were charged over the Belfast protests, and an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of riot after two police officers were injured in Carrickfergus.

The Stormont Executive condemned the disorder as “violence and intimidation” and said no community benefits from such actions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to crack down on anyone fuelling division, while security minister Dan Jarvis said reports that ethnic minorities were targeted were “sickening”. The episode has also sharpened scrutiny of social-media disinformation, with Ogilvie’s family saying false claims were deeply distressing and adding another layer of fear to an already volatile night on the streets.