A fire was set at the rear of a house in north Belfast on Thursday night, the latest in a wave of violence that has swept Northern Ireland this week. Police say the blaze, which also damaged two neighbouring properties, is being treated as a hate-motivated arson. No one was injured.
The attack in the Shore Road area came as the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that 19 people — including a 16-year-old boy — have now been arrested in connection with the disorder that began after a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night was shared widely on social media.
“Nineteen arrested after arson attack on north Belfast house as police warn of 'robust' response to further unrest.”
Thursday night was relatively quiet, although police also reported race-hate graffiti in the Dee Street and Newtownards Road areas of east Belfast, and a separate car fire on the Glenshane Road in Derry at 00:30 BST on Friday. That incident, near the Tamnaherin Road, is being treated as a racially motivated hate crime.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said it received 46 emergency calls on Thursday evening, mobilising crews to 26 incidents across Northern Ireland.
Dr Mukesh Chugh, a leading member of the Indian community in Londonderry, said some health care professionals from overseas had told him they were questioning whether they should have come to Northern Ireland at all. “We hear especially from people who come from different nations and people of different colour — their houses are gone, their cars are gone, their windows are smashed,” he told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme. “We’re in a WhatsApp group and there are messages floating that a certain family has been made homeless overnight and they were a family with small kids.”
The violence erupted on Tuesday night, with homes, businesses and vehicles targeted. Further disorder followed on Wednesday, particularly in Glengormley and Portadown, where police came under attack and deployed water cannon. Twelve officers were injured and 16 people were arrested during Wednesday night’s unrest.
Police have warned they will mount a “robust” response to any further street unrest, and said reinforcements from Great Britain would be deployed. Northern Ireland Secretary Hillary Benn described the violence as “racist thuggery”.
The disorder was sparked after footage of a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night was shared widely on social media. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old originally from Sudan, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over the attack, which caused serious injuries to the victim, Stephen Ogilvie.
The PSNI said their policing operation will remain in place over the weekend to ensure public order is maintained.