• Police used water cannons in Northern Ireland as anti-immigration protests continued for a second night after a Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder in connection with a knife attack.

• Political leaders across Britain denounced both the stabbing and the anti-immigrant unrest that followed.

• The disturbances come amid growing racial tensions in Britain, intensified by far-right rhetoric and activity on social media.

Police in Northern Ireland deployed water cannons on Wednesday as anti-immigration protests entered their second consecutive night, following charges of attempted murder against a Sudanese man accused of carrying out a serious knife attack.

Footage from Newtownabbey, located eight miles north of central Belfast, showed demonstrators throwing objects at police vehicles while officers responded with water cannons. Authorities reported at least 16 arrests and said 12 officers were injured during the clashes.

The disorder erupted after a previous night of more extensive rioting, during which masked individuals set fire to houses and vehicles. The unrest spread after video of the stabbing circulated widely online.

On Tuesday, crowds gathered in several parts of Belfast, Northern Ireland’s largest city. Homes, a bus, cars and makeshift barricades were set alight, forcing multiple families to evacuate.

Officials said properties belonging to ethnic minorities appeared to have been deliberately targeted.

UK minister Ruth Anderson told the House of Lords on Wednesday that dozens of people, including a toddler, had been left without homes as the violence intensified.

“Around 27 individuals were made homeless last night after mobs went door to door targeting foreign nationals and driving them from their homes,” Anderson said. “The fear they must have felt is unimaginable.”

Local pastor Jack McKee told the BBC that members of his congregation, some of whom had lived in the area for two decades, were forced out after their homes were attacked, windows smashed and neighboring houses burned.

“They’re being forced out simply because they are Black,” he said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was evident that people had been singled out because of their background.

“Those responsible will face the full consequences of the law,” Starmer wrote Wednesday on social media.

The violence on Tuesday night, which left two officers injured, heightened anxiety among local residents. Naomi, a Muslim woman living near North Belfast, said she feared for her children’s safety at school and collected her son early after he experienced racist remarks from classmates.

“My daughter is the only girl in her year who wears a hijab. I was uneasy about sending them in, but I hoped for some sense of normal routine. Now I regret it,” she said.

Smaller demonstrations also took place Tuesday evening in Bangor, Glasgow and London. In the capital, far-right protesters confronted officers and chanted anti-immigration slogans.

Police in Glasgow reported that two officers and three civilians were injured, adding that some individuals were attacked because of their skin color.

Anticipating further unrest, authorities announced that an additional 200 officers would patrol the streets on Wednesday. Some Belfast schools closed early, and public transport services were suspended.

Community members “extremely distressed”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said residents were left “extremely distressed” after personal addresses were shared on social media and messaging platforms during the unrest.

According to the PSNI, families and homeowners contacted police in fear due to what it described as reckless behavior.

“This conduct is unacceptable. It endangers lives and must cease immediately,” the statement said.

Police warned that posts shared online would be investigated and stressed that distributing private information with intent to cause harm could constitute a criminal offense.

Regulator Ofcom said it had cautioned online platforms that their services were increasingly at risk of being exploited to incite hatred, violence and other illegal acts.

Authorities also raised concerns about messages circulating on WhatsApp that encouraged disorder. One widely reported message called on men aged 18 and over to be “ready to fight or face arrest.”

Knife attack victim’s family calls for calm

The protests intensified after police announced Tuesday that a 30-year-old Sudanese man had been charged with attempted murder over a knife attack that occurred the previous evening and was recorded by a bystander.

The video shows a man restraining a bloodied victim on the ground and repeatedly stabbing him before members of the public and officers intervened.

The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, lost his left eye in the assault and suffered additional injuries to his other eye, back and face, according to court testimony. Prime Minister Starmer described the attack as “horrific.”

Ogilvie’s family urged the public not to use the tragedy to deepen divisions or incite hatred.

In a further statement on Wednesday, they emphasized: “Please do not act in our loved one’s name. We do not share those values.”

The suspect, identified as Hadi Alodid, appeared in court charged with attempted murder, making threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a bladed weapon. Bail was denied.

Police said the man traveled from Paris to Dublin before entering Northern Ireland in February 2023. He applied for asylum upon arrival and was granted permission to remain in the UK until 2028.

Authorities confirmed he had legal residency status in Northern Ireland and stated that there is no current evidence linking the stabbing to terrorism.

Ogilvie remains hospitalized, and his family said their sole focus is supporting his recovery.

“The unrest we have seen is not what we want. Peaceful protest is the only acceptable path forward,” they said.

They also noted the positive contributions migrants make across the UK, including in healthcare and hospitality, sectors that rely heavily on their work.

“Weaponizing distress”

Following the release of the stabbing footage, anti-immigration and right-wing social media accounts amplified the video and called for demonstrations.

Several high-profile figures abroad echoed demands for protests, reposting messages urging nationwide rallies.

Political leaders at both local and national levels appealed for calm and pledged to prosecute those responsible for violence or incitement. Three individuals have so far been arrested in connection with the disorder, with further arrests expected. Charges include rioting, attempted criminal damage and assault.

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long accused those inflaming tensions online of exploiting tragedy to advance anti-immigration agendas.

She said some prominent figures commenting from abroad showed little genuine concern for Northern Ireland’s communities, arguing that online platforms were enabling the radicalization of young people.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill condemned the scenes, describing masked groups forcing families from their homes as “blatant thuggery.”

“Racism, intimidation and violence are wrong in every circumstance,” she said.

Race tensions in Britain

The stabbing comes amid heightened racial strain in Britain, where anti-immigration narratives have been increasingly amplified by far-right voices and online platforms both domestically and internationally.

Recent high-profile violent incidents have fueled public debate and political confrontation over migration and policing, with some figures accused of exploiting tragedies to stir division.

Northern Ireland has also experienced episodes of racially driven unrest in recent years.

Last year, several nights of disorder erupted in Ballymena after two Romanian teenagers were accused of sexually assaulting a girl. The charges against them were later dropped.