Violent scenes were witnessed in Northern Ireland again on Wednesday as tensions remain high in the wake of an apparent attempted beheading on the streets of Belfast, allegedly at the hands of a Sudanese asylum seeker.
Hordes of black balaclava masked men clashed with riot officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on Wednesday in areas such as the Belfast suburb of Newtownabbey, where a lorry truck was set on fire by agitators. The truck is believed to have been a municipal “gully emptier” used to clean street drainage systems.
A car was also set on fire on Antrim Road in the area, while fires were also lit at the Sandyknowes roundabout, the Belfast Telegraph reported.
Nearby, police were forced to deploy a water cannon to push back a large crowd attempting to break into a Newtownabbey hotel, likely over at least rumours of migrants being housed inside.
MALLUSK, NORTHERN IRELAND – JUNE 10: Police stand guard as protests take place near the Chimney Corner Hotel, which allegedly may be a hotel housing migrants, following a night of anti-immigrant riots on June 10, 2026 in Mallusk, Glengormley, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Police came under fire from masked men throwing bricks and other makeshift missiles on multiple occasions.
Meanwhile, another residential property, this time in the York Park area of north Belfast, came under attack on Wednesday.
It comes amid reports of a “hit list” of homes and other targets being spread on social media. On Tuesday, there were reports that homes housing migrants had come under attack from rioters.
The PSNI said in a statement that sharing the address hit list shared on social media is “totally unacceptable”.
MALLUSK, NORTHERN IRELAND – JUNE 10: Fire burns near police vans as protests take place near the Chimney Corner Hotel, which allegedly may be a hotel housing migrants, following a night of anti-immigrant riots on June 10, 2026 in Mallusk, Glengormley, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
“We have received phone calls from a number of families, house owners, neighbours and members of the wider community who are extremely distressed as a result of this reckless activity. This is unacceptable. It is putting lives at risk and has to stop,” the police force said.
“Anyone who shares personal information online with the intention to endanger others may be committing a criminal offence. Any person who publishes or distributes material which is threatening or abusive may also be committing an offence. We will be investigating any such posts which come to our attention.”
Belfast Legislative Assembly Member Kate Nicholl added, “I have spoken to PSNI, who will be actively patrolling areas and have spoken to several people in these addresses. People of all ethnicities [are] feeling unsettled right now, check in on your neighbours [and] keep safe.”
The response from the British government has seemingly attempted to shift the blame for the violence to those commenting on social media, rather than the horrific stabbing attack, footage of which was widely seen and reports indicating that the UK government had granted the suspect asylum after entering into the country illegally.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “crack down on anyone who is fuelling this division,” adding that “there is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere.”
