Government officials have strongly condemned the "racist thuggery" that has swept through Belfast, as twelve police officers were left injured during another night of violent clashes. Officers were hit with bricks and petrol bombs as masked rioters ran rampant.
Officer Injuries and Arrests
On Wednesday night, sixteen people were arrested as riot police deployed water cannons in Co Antrim. Masked mobs hurled missiles at officers near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey. A Department for Infrastructure vehicle was set on fire during the fierce clashes.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he was "glad" the chaos was not as extreme as Tuesday's shocking scenes. However, he acknowledged that the unrest followed a horrific knife attack caught on video and widely shared online.
Victim's Condition
The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, remains in hospital fighting for his life after losing an eye in the brutal assault. His family expressed they were "disgusted" by the disorder that followed.
Riot Tactics
Footage showed dozens of men dressed in black and wearing face coverings gathering on Antrim Road. They tore bricks from properties and smashed 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 also took wheelie bins from outside homes and lit fires in them.
In Londonderry, police reported items having been set alight on the Ardmore Road.
Court Appearance
Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with attempted murder over Monday's knife attack in which Mr Ogilvie lost an eye.
Wider Unrest
The reaction to the incident saw mobs set homes, a bus, and cars on fire in Belfast on Tuesday, with people targeted based on their race. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) appealed for assistance in identifying individuals in images connected to Tuesday night's disorder. The force also urged those in the pictures to come forward to police.
