Water cannon deployed during second night of disorder in Belfast
Police deployed a water cannon during a second night of disorder in Northern Ireland as unrest linked to an attempted murder investigation.
Officers came under attack in Newtownabbey, where rioters dressed in black and wearing face coverings threw bricks and paving stones at police near the Sandyknowes roundabout. A water cannon was used after police prevented the crowd from reaching the Chimney Corner hotel. A Department for Infrastructure vehicle was also set alight during the disorder.
The unrest follows the attempted murder of a man in north Belfast on Monday. On Wednesday, a 30-year-old Sudanese man appeared in court charged in connection with the stabbing. Hadi Alodid, with an address in north Belfast, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court via video link from Musgrave police station.
He is also charged with possession of a knife in a public place and threats to kill an NHS worker. Bail was opposed and Alodid was remanded into custody for four weeks.
As further disturbances unfolded, the family of victim Stephen Ogilvie issued a public statement condemning the violence and urging people not to use the incident to fuel division or hostility.
The family said they had been left “disgusted” by scenes of disorder and stressed that those involved did not represent their views. “We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility – do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values,” they said.
The family also sought to correct misinformation circulating online, confirming that Mr Ogilvie is in a stable condition and asking for privacy while he recovers.
Meanwhile, the PSNI warned that people sharing addresses and personal information online in the wake of the disorder could be committing criminal offences. The force said a number of families and residents had contacted police after becoming distressed by the circulation of address details on social media and messaging platforms.
Police added that anyone sharing personal information with the intention of endangering others, or distributing threatening or abusive material, may face criminal investigation.
The PSNI also warned against the circulation of images falsely claiming to show the victim of the attack, stating that the photographs were unrelated to anyone involved in the attempted murder investigation and appeared designed to “arouse fear and hatred”.
Officers reiterated calls for members of the public not to share footage of the attack and appealed for responsible use of social media as investigations continue.