Belfast riots live: Bricks and petrol bomb launched at cops in night of 'racist thuggery'

Belfast riots live: Bricks and petrol bomb launched at cops in night of 'racist thuggery' A second night of violence has erupted on the streets of Belfast and across Northern Ireland as water cannons were fired on hundreds of masked thugs wreaking havoc on the streets following the brutal stabbing of Stephen Ogilvie Masked yobs have pelted police with bricks and a petrol bomb with multiple vehicles set on fire as they rioted across Belfast and Northern Ireland following a brutal stabbing. The suspect in the knife attack, Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30, has been remanded in custody for four weeks after being charged with attempted stabbing murder. Anti-immigration protests began in Belfast on Tuesday night with homes, cars and a bus torched and non-white residents targeted. They started again last night and spread elsewhere in Northern Ireland, with a masked rioter setting himself alight as he attempted to throw a petrol bomb in Portadown. A water cannon was deployed by police after around 200 masked youths attempted to march on a migrant hotel in Newtownabbey, after a nearby lorry at a roundabout was torched. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called the rioting "racist thuggery". He said it is unacceptable that people are being targeted because of the colour of their skin. The court was told the stabbing victim, Stephen Ogilvie, who in his 40s, has lost his left eye. His family say he is in a stable condition and urged people to stop spreading "false information". The family added they had been left "feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder on the streets. A trade union regional secretary told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme that the unrest in Belfast was “pure and simple” racism. Patricia McKeown, who works for Unison, a union representing people working for a number of public services, said many staff have received threats. She told the programme: “Yesterday evening a nurse with a different skin colour was chased into the Ulster hospital by four masked men.” Ms McKeown said the nurse still insisted on working her shift, and has since been found alternative accommodation. She continued: “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.” 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% 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. The head of Britain’s biggest police force has said the Metropolitan Police are paying close attention to unrest in Northern Ireland and “will be able to deal with anything that does happen”. Asked on GB News whether he was concerned that violence and disorder following a stabbing in Northern Ireland could be more widespread, Sir Mark Rowley 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.” A former Northern Ireland Secretary has said violent thugs are motivated by "sheer wickedness" as she warned disorder could last for several days. Dame Theresa Villiers branded the racist attacks repulsive and said: "It's not who we are as a country." Tory Dame Theresa, who held the role between 2012 and 2016 under David Cameron, said: "The shocking scenes are really depressing. Particularly when you have the family of the victim calling for only peaceful protest. "I think the motivations will vary amongst the rioters, but for some it's just sheer wickedness, they get a thrill from going out and causing violent disorder. "No doubt others may be motivated by disgust at the horrific attack that took place, but that is absolutely no excuse. "They don't change things, they don't get reform, they don't defend their culture and community and values effectively through violent criminal disorder. It's entirely counterproductive to any desire for reform or change." Cabinet Office minister Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent told the House of Lords that 27 people were made homeless on Tuesday night “because people went door-to-door to try and target foreign nationals to burn them out of their homes”. And Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “crack down on anyone who is fuelling this division”. Social media platform X is among those to have been contacted by the communications regulator Ofcom about online content potentially linked to scenes of violence in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland saw a second night of unrest with police using water cannons on rioters. Police were pelted with bricks and petrol bombs by balaclava-clad rioters in Co Antrim on Wednesday evening in the latest disorder following the Belfast knife attack on Monday. A Department for Infrastructure vehicle was left in flames as rioters confronted police near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey to the north west of Belfast. Dozens of men dressed all in black and wearing face coverings gathered on Antrim Road, where they could be seen tearing bricks from properties and smashing paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at police. Rioters attempted to set fire to a derelict property near a petrol station in Newtownabbey, with some throwing petrol bombs at police lines. They could also be seen taking wheelie bins from outside homes and lighting fires in them.In Londonderry, police reported items having been set alight on the Ardmore Road. Northern Ireland saw a second night of unrest with police using water cannons on rioters, as the Belfast stabbing attack victim’s family said they were “disgusted” by the disorder. Stephen Ogilvie’s family urged people to stop sharing “false information on social media” about the attack, adding that they were left “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder. In a statement issued by police on Wednesday night, 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. “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.” The Northern Ireland Secretary has hit out at "racist thuggery" in Belfast as he said: "This is not the true face of Northern Ireland." Hilary Benn said it is unacceptable that people are being targeted because of the colour of their skin. He said he was appalled at reports that people were being stopped on their way to work by thugs demanding to know their nationality. He told Sky News: "I've talked to a number of community organizations, and it's really important to convey the sense of fear that has been created, above all for those who were intimidated, burned out of their houses by masked thugs on the basis of the color of their skin. "But talking to those community organizations, everyone else in Northern Ireland who is an ethnic minority is thinking is somebody going to come for me? 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. "And we all feel very strongly about the appalling attack on Stephen Ogilvie and which was captured, of course, on that awful, awful video. "An individual has been arrested. He has now been charged. We need to let the criminal justice process take its course. But there is no justification for the kind of violent thuggery that we have seen." And he continued: "I have joined with all of the political leaders in Northern Ireland in calling on people to desist, because this is not what Northern Ireland - a great place - is about. This is not the true face of Northern Ireland." Asked if the violence in Northern Ireland should be categorised as racist riots, Mr Benn said: "Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of their colour, of their skin, how else can you describe them? This is racist thuggery. There's no question about it at all." 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.” PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Murray has appealed for information after two officers were injured in rioting on Tuesday night when a petrol bomb was thrown. He said: "Our officers were working to keep communities safe during disorder and were savagely targeted by a petrol bomb. It was fortunate they weren't more seriously hurt. No one should be injured for doing their job - particularly when that job is working all hours to keep people from harm. "Our investigation is picking up pace and we will be making more arrests in the days ahead." Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. A report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/. Photos and footage - including CCTV, mobile phone or dashcam footage - can be shared with police through the Major Incident Public Portal at www.mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI26W14-PO1. A teenager has been arrested after two police officers were “savagely targeted” with a petrol bomb. One of the officers injured after the throwing of the petrol bomb, Carrickfergus, was taken to hospital, while the second officer was treated at the scene. Police said an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of riot at an address in Carrickfergus and he remained in custody on Wednesday night.