Cars, houses and a bus were torched by gangs of masked demonstrators
The family of the man who suffered severe injuries during a knife attack in Belfast have called for calm. Vehicles, homes and a bus were torched by gangs after footage showed Stephen Ogilvie, 43, being stabbed.
Relatives have today called for calm but rioting continued into a second night. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows, who spoke to Mr Ogilvie's dad, said: "The victim's father has... asked me to pass on a direct appeal to those spreading disinformation online: please stop. This has shockingly included false posts on social media at various times that his son has died.
“This is causing immense additional distress to a family already going through an unimaginable ordeal. I echo that appeal wholeheartedly and urge everyone to act with decency and respect for this family.
"Tonight , riot police have deployed water cannons against demonstrators who lit fires and threw projectiles at officers. Footage showed dozens of men dressed all in black and wearing face coverings gathering on Antrim Road in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, and throwing objects at a line of eight police vehicles,Two water cannons, located near the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, were fired by police towards demonstrators who had lit fires in the street.
Trafficwatch NI said Sandyknowes roundabout is “currently closed in all approaches due to an ongoing incident”. A vehicle has also been torched. It comes after Hadi Alodid, 30, a Sudanese national, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted to murder, threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife. Last night, people took to the streets across the city as masked gangs set vehicles and properties ablaze.
A two-month-old baby was among those rescued by police as a mob set fires and smashed properties during terrifying street violence. In a statement issued on Wednesday morning through local independent Councillor Stafford Ward, Stephen’s family said: “We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue. This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover.
"We want to say a profound thank you to the local people who bravely stepped in during the attack. Your quick actions absolutely saved his life, and we will never forget what you did for him in that moment. We also want to thank the emergency services and the doctors and nurses looking after him.
"We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward. We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work.
We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility. ”The family also asked for privacy and appealed for anyone with information about the attack, or who saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, to go to the police.
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