Protesters in Belfast hurl petrol bombs at police as rioting in the UK escalates

On Monday evening, at least one police vehicle was set on fire, and multiple fires were reported in the Sandy Row and Donegall Road areas of South Belfast in the United Kingdom. Rioters took to the streets of Belfast for a second consecutive night, with footage showing petrol bombs and missiles being thrown at police.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued warnings for the public to avoid certain parts of the city as they responded to the public disorder and violence.

This unrest follows a similar episode on Saturday, when several hundred anti-immigration protesters threw fireworks during a march through the city. According to AP, Deputy District Judge Liam McStay at Belfast Magistrates’ Court denied bail to two men involved in the disturbances, which included a violent mob damaging businesses and setting a supermarket on fire.

The far-right protests were triggered by misinformation on social media about a stabbing incident at a children’s dance class in Southport that resulted in three deaths and ten injuries. Although the arrested suspect was born in the UK and not a Muslim, false rumors online claimed he was a Muslim asylum-seeker, leading to attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers, as well as mosques.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported over 375 arrests related to the disorder across various cities, with more expected in the coming days. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the deployment of a “standing army” of specialist police to address the rioting and ensure the justice system is fully equipped to manage the numerous arrests.