Police use water cannons during second night of riots

Rioting broke out in Northern Ireland for a second night following Monday’s knife attack in Belfast, with masked protesters lighting fires and hurling bricks at police, who responded by firing water cannons.

- SAM KILEY, JAMES C. REYNOLDS

The chaos unfolded in Glengormley in Newtownabbey, northwest Belfast, just hours after the family of the attack victim, Stephen Ogilvie, appealed for calm in the wake of the torching of homes and vehicles across the city on Tuesday.

Responding to the latest disorder along Antrim Road, near the Sandyknowes roundabout, the relatives of Mr Ogilvie, who is said to be in stable condition, voiced their “disgust” at the scenes. Earlier yesterday, Hadi Alodid, 30, had appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack in which Mr Ogilvie lost an eye.

Despite pleas from Mr Ogilvie’s family and the drafting in of 200 extra police officers to deal with any disorder, videos shared on social media first showed masked gangs attempting to march to a hotel in Glengormley, where they were met with riot police.

Pushed back down Antrim Road, the protesters dressed in black broke up parts of the pavement and the walls of suburban homes to throw objects at the police, who responded with water cannons, soaking those who got close.

As the face-off continued between the police and protesters, some laid down lines of bins in the road and set them on fire.