Twelve people have been charged and remanded in custody in connection with the recent Belfast riots, as the PSNI reiterates its call for calm over the coming weekend.
A total of 19 arrests have been made and 21 suspects identified, with police warning that further arrests will follow as they continue to release images of individuals they wish to identify in connection with racially-motivated attacks and hate-filled social media posts, reports Breaking News.
Police in Northern Ireland appealed for calm ahead of planned further protests over the weekend, with commanders warning of a “zero-tolerance” approach should violence break out again.
The PSNI confirmed that Thursday night had been “much calmer” with only “lower level disturbances” compared with the disorder of the previous two nights, reports Breaking News.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said three arrests had been made across the region, one of which related to violence on Wednesday night.
The disorder was triggered by a knife attack on Monday night in which victim Stephen Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, suffered the loss of his left eye along with deep cuts to his head, face and back, with a graphic video of the attack going viral, reports Breaking News.
On Thursday, Mr Ogilvie was said to remain in an induced coma but his condition was reported to be improving.
Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over the attack, having entered Northern Ireland by bus across the Irish border in February 2023 after flying to Dublin from Paris, and subsequently being granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028, reports Breaking News.
Mr Henderson said police would maintain an increased presence on the streets over the weekend, monitoring the potential for further anti-immigration demonstrations.
“Thankfully, last night was calmer than recent days, and we hope this will continue this weekend,” he said.
“The right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fundamental in a democratic society. These rights are protected in law and allow individuals to engage in peaceful protest, and will be supported by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
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“We would urge everyone protesting this weekend to remember that these rights are limited by the need to uphold the rights of others, protect public health and safety, minimise disruption to normal life and by the need to prevent and detect crime.
“Everyone who lives, works and visits Northern Ireland deserves to feel safe, and the PSNI is there to help all our communities do so, by operating a zero-tolerance approach to any violence, intimidation, or criminal acts,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Henderson added: “The public can be reassured that they will continue to see a heightened presence in towns and cities, and engagement will continue as we work to keep people safe. Our GB policing colleagues have provided us with mutual aid resources to ensure we have the necessary support to maintain public order.
“Evidence gathering assets will be deployed as part of our operation, and footage captured will be reviewed by our public order inquiry team as we continue to robustly investigate the disorder which has occurred since Tuesday.
“We will continue to release images of individuals police want to identify and speak to, and further arrests will follow as we strive to deliver justice for those who have been involved in disorder, racially motivated attacks and hate-filled social media posts,” reports Breaking News.
On Tuesday night, mobs set homes, a bus and cars on fire in Belfast, with people targeted on the basis of their race, while water cannons were deployed in Co Antrim on Wednesday after police were pelted with bricks and a Department for Infrastructure vehicle was set ablaze, with serious unrest also occurring in Portadown, Co Armagh, leaving twelve police officers injured.
Foreign national healthcare workers were also subjected to threats and intimidation, and Thursday night witnessed a de-escalation of tensions, reports Breaking News.
Several anti-racism events have been organised in response to the unrest, including a community solidarity rally in west Belfast on Friday evening and a “Together Against Hate” demonstration planned at Belfast City Hall on Saturday.
Outlining the details of the latest disorder-related arrests, Mr Henderson said peaceful protests had taken place at a number of locations including Newtownabbey with no significant incidents, while lower-level disturbances included an arson attack on a house on the Shore Road in north Belfast, racist graffiti in east Belfast, and a 27-year-old male who threw a stone at a police vehicle in Newtownabbey and was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour, reports Breaking News.
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