Belfast riots latest: Police deploy water cannon as victim’s family condemn second night of violence

Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister said some people involved in violence and mayhem across the country following a stabbing were “trying to manipulate genuine concern” about immigration.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Emma Little-Pengelly said: “I think last night wasn’t as violent as it was the night before, which is nice, but of course we still see some of that violence and disorder and it’s absolutely wrong and of course we stand united and call for it to stop immediately.”

He added: “What some of these elements who want to create this kind of disorder and violence are trying to do is manipulate a concern that a lot of people really have, a lot of people’s frustration.”

Ms Little-Pengelly said the alleged attacker, Hadi Alodid, 30, was believed to have traveled to Northern Ireland via several different countries, including the Republic of Ireland.

“This is an issue I have raised with the UK government due to concerns about immigration from the Republic of Ireland,” he said.

“So, of course, these need to be taken seriously. I emphasized this again when I spoke to the immigration minister yesterday, because things are bubbling. There is frustration and anger.

“People are absolutely fed up with not being listened to by the government, and I’ve said over and over that politics has to work. People have to feel that the current system can protect them and protect community safety.”

In Northern Ireland, riots broke out for the second night following the stabbing attack in Belfast, where masked protesters lit fires and threw bricks, and the police responded with water cannons.

The chaos unfolded in Glengormley, Newtownabbey, north-west Belfast, just hours after the family of attack victim Stephen Ogilvie appealed for calm after houses and vehicles in the town were torched on Tuesday.

Despite pleas from Mr Ogilvie’s family and an extra 200 police officers being deployed to deal with any disorder, videos shared on social media first appeared to show masked gangs trying to march to a hotel in Glengormley, where they were confronted by riot police.

Pushed back onto Antrim Road, black-clad protesters smashed parts of the pavement and walls of suburban homes and threw objects at police, who responded with water cannons to drench those approaching.

In a new statement released through the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Wednesday evening, Mr Ogilvie’s family said they wanted to make it clear that they did not support violence.

“We are disgusted by the scenes that emerged in Northern Ireland yesterday,” they said.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that doing this in response is not supported by our family and that peaceful protest is the only way forward.”

They emphasized that they did not want what happened to their loved ones to divide people.

“We have many immigrants who make invaluable contributions to our country, including to our healthcare system and hospitality industry, and we rely on them to make our country work,” they said.

“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or incite hostility; do not do this in the name of our loved ones because we do not share the same values.”

The family paid tribute to those who intervened during the attack.

“We would also like to thank the local people who bravely intervened during the attack.”

“Your quick actions absolutely saved his life and we will never forget what you did for him at that moment.

“We also want to thank the emergency services and the doctors and nurses who cared for him.”

Protesters in Northern Ireland wreaked havoc for a second night on Wednesday, lighting fires and throwing bricks at police, who responded by using water cannon.

– Most of the clashes occurred as demonstrators confronted police at the Sandyknowes junction in Newtownabbey, north-west Belfast.

– Protesters were seen tearing bricks from properties and breaking paving stones with sledgehammers to create projectiles to throw at riot police. They also took wheelie bins from houses outside and lit a fire inside them.

– Balaclava-wearing rioters also broke through a metal fence to gain access to the Sandyknowes Sewage Pumping Station and removed a garden fence to use as a shield against police water cannons.

– Police in Derry reported that items were set on fire on Ardmore Road.

– Victim’s family Stephen Ogilvie appealed for calm and said they were ‘disgusted’ by the protests. They emphasized that they did not want what happened to divide people.

– Earlier, suspect Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted murder in connection with the stabbing attack in which victim Stephen Ogilvie lost his eye.

The government will intensify immigration enforcement to track, detain, arrest and remove illegal immigrants in Northern Ireland with new investments, a government source has told The Independent.

They say the Home Secretary will invest £3.7bn in Immigration Enforcement activities, including in Northern Ireland, over the next three years.

They say investment in implementation will increase by over 20 percent by 2028-29.

“This will see an increase in Intelligence-led operations carried out by Immigration Enforcement and Border Force along CTA routes to detect, track, apprehend and remove illegal immigrants. Nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants were removed last year alone.”

They say the number of asylum seekers in supported accommodation in Northern Ireland has fallen by 6% under this Government, from 2,530 in June 2024 to 2,379 in March 2026.

Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese man, has been charged over a knife attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which left one man in a serious condition.

Police said the 30-year-old appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning and was charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost his left eye and suffered deep cuts to his head, face and back during the alleged attack on Monday.

He was also charged with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer and possessing a knife on the same day.

Families exposed to terror were forced to flee their homes following violent and racist riots targeting immigrants in response to a street stabbing in Belfast.​

Many people had to risk their lives to escape their homes on Tuesday night, as the protests turned violent and houses and vehicles were set on fire.

The unrest comes after Stephen Ogilvie lost his eye and suffered serious neck and back injuries after being stabbed in north Belfast on Monday night.

A “heroic” man who bravely intervened in a stabbing attack in Belfast said he was trying to “protect a young boy” and was glad he stood up to his attacker.

Maitiu Mag Tighearnan has been praised for his actions as he bravely hurled a stick to confront a man attacking the victim, who suffered serious injuries to his eyes, neck and back in north Belfast on Monday night.

More than £18,000 was raised to show support for the 32-year-old dad and “buy him a pint”.

Mr Tighearnan said in a social media post that he “landed there by chance” and managed to “protect a young boy”.

The fluid arrangement between Ireland and the United Kingdom was a diplomatic game long before Britain left the European Union; But according to Mary Dejevsky, the violence unleashed by the knife attack called this gentlemanly agreement into question:

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is among the platforms contacted by the communications watchdog about online content potentially linked to scenes of violence in Belfast.

Technology secretary Liz Kendall said she wanted Ofcom to discuss openly with X and other platforms how they would comply with the Online Safety Act.

Elon Musk, who used his online account to support calls for people to take to the streets in response to Monday’s stabbing attack, responded to accusations that he had escalated tensions and blamed immigration policy.

Communications regulator Ofcom said some of the disorder appeared to have been incited online, adding: “This includes incidents of racially motivated violence, arson attacks on homes and vehicles and attacks on police.”

The watchdog said it had contacted all major platforms where it believed there were “specific risks regarding the presence of illegal content related to civil unrest”.

Online service providers have a duty under the Online Safety Act 2023 to “assess and reduce the risks of illegal activity occurring on their sites and apps” (content which may include inciting hatred or inciting violence).