Residents have been evacuated after homes caught fire in Belfast as disorder flared across the city following a shocking stabbing attack.
Crowds of people gathered at several locations in the Northern Irish capital where violence broke out and large fires were started.
A Glider bus was set fire in the Newtownards Road in east Belfast on Tuesday evening, while two cars were torched in the Tigers Bay area of the city and a police car was set on fire in Portadown.
Residents on Lendrick Street in east Belfast were evacuated as their homes caught fire. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service officers attended the scene and have been working to put out the flames.
Some protesters have also been seen throwing projectiles at police vehicles, as the deputy first minister appealed for calm, warning those who engage in violence will be arrested.
It followed calls on social media for anti-immigration protests to take place across Northern Ireland following the shocking attack on a man in north Belfast on Monday night.
A senior officer said police are dealing with “sporadic pockets of disorder” in a number of locations in Northern Ireland, as he called for calm among the protesters.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said:“We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk.
“Officers are on the ground, working alongside partner agencies, responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe.
“We are again appealing for calm and ask all voices of influence within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder.”
In a post on social media, the Deputy First Minister warned that those engaging in disorder would be recorded and arrested further down the line.
“This is an appeal to act in an entirely peaceful way,” Emma Little-Pengelly said, adding: “Violence does not advance any cause, it damages it.
“Destroying things within your own community benefits no one.
“Taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”
“Safety is at the heart of so much of the concern,” she added.
“Engaging in violence risks your own safety, that of others and fundamentally does any cause or campaign to be heard terrible disservice and damage.”
Meanwhile, dozens of protesters have gathered outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Southampton, reportedly in response to the knife attack in Belfast.
A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder following the attack on Monday night.
The victim, aged in his 40s, was left with serious injuries to his eyes, back and face after he was slashed with a kitchen knife in a residential area close to Antrim Road on Monday.
He is being treated in hospital, where his condition is described as serious.
Police commanders and political leaders appealed for calm as protests turned violent on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister said “hate cannot be allowed” to win as protesters set fire to houses in Belfast.
Naomi Long said some protesters had ignored repeated pleas for calm, adding: “They are intent on wreaking destruction on the very communities they claim they are trying to protect.
“They are weaponising the genuine hurt, concern and anger that people are feeling for their own misguided purposes.
“There is no place for masked thugs to take to the streets and threaten, intimidate, disrupt and cause wanton damage – it is simply disingenuous to claim this is being carried out for the good of Northern Ireland.”
Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Jon Boutcher said: “Where there are any concerns about immigration, let’s have those through a political debate.
“Let the criminal justice process take its course and let’s just remember that all of our communities in Northern Ireland almost entirely contribute positively to this place and don’t be fooled or duped into a trap by people online inciting awful behaviour.”
He said the “toxic” nature online risked “people doing things that they would not ordinarily do”.
Metro and Glider services have been suspended until further notice after a Glider bus was set on fire in east Belfast.
Operator Translink condemned the attack on its service, adding that it hoped services would be resumed on Wednesday morning.
A Translink spokesperson said: “We utterly condemn this attack on our Glider service.
“The safety of our staff and customers is our top priority and all bus and train services are suspended for the rest of tonight in the interests of safety.
“We are liaising closely with the PSNI and will continue to follow their guidance.
“We intend to resume services as normal tomorrow morning. Passengers are advised to check Translink’s socials for up to date travel information.”
The PSNI launched a “critical incident” in response to the knife attack on Monday which was captured on video and appears to show a man stabbing at the victim’s head and neck while he was lying on the ground.
The clip shows people, including one with a hurling stick, intervening to stop the attack on the victim in the Kinnaird Avenue residential area close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.
Young father Maitiu Mág Tighearnán, known as Matt, has been named as a selfless hero who put himself in harm’s way with two other members of the public in a desperate bid to save the victim.
More than £4,500 has been raised for Mr Tighearnán on a Gofundme page to buy him a pint for his “incredible bravery and courage”.
“Faced with unimaginable violence, he chose courage over fear and grabbed a hurley stick to defend his fellow Irish man,” the fundraiser said.
The Sudanese suspect in the Belfast knife attack entered the UK across the Irish border having flown to Dublin from Paris and was given leave to remain in 2023, police said.
