Mass Riots in Belfast Prompt Water Cannons After Stabbing Video Sparks Unrest

The violent riots in Belfast entered a second day, as police were forced to deploy water cannons against angry protesters who set fires and threw bricks following a shocking stabbing video.

A second night of severe violence on the streets of Belfast reached its peak when the Police Service of Northern Ireland had to use water cannons to push back hundreds of masked demonstrators. The unrest broke out after the brutal stabbing of a local resident by an immigrant from Sudan, an attack that was recorded and went viral on social media.

During the clashes on Wednesday night in the Newtownabbey area, protesters threw bricks, stones and bottles at police and set fires in the streets. In response, police fired high pressure water jets in an effort to disperse the crowd. The protesters, for their part, were undeterred and used large trash bins and dismantled sections of garden fencing to create makeshift shields to protect themselves from the force of the water.

The use of water cannons comes against the backdrop of a “critical incident” declared by police, after the riots included buses being set on fire, attacks on immigrant homes and leaving dozens of people homeless. While politicians condemn the “bullying” in the streets, police are preparing for continued violence and are reinforcing their ranks with hundreds of additional officers in an effort to restore order.