Police blast water cannons at Belfast protesters amid unrest : NPR

Key Points:

• Police in Northern Ireland used water cannons to disperse masked protesters who set fires, threw bricks and bottles, and engaged in violent clashes following a stabbing incident in Belfast involving a Sudanese asylum seeker charged with attempted murder.
• The stabbing victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was seriously injured and blinded in one eye, while the accused, Hadi Alodid, was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening hospital staff; Alodid appeared in court refusing legal representation and did not enter a plea.
• The violence escalated into anti-immigrant attacks, including arson on homes believed to house immigrants, resulting in several families being rescued and displaced, prompting condemnation from political leaders and calls for calm.
• Authorities increased police presence and called for support from other forces as public transport services were curtailed due to expected protests, while politicians across the spectrum denounced the violence and rejected attempts to use the stabbing to fuel division.
• The incident sparked debate over the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a sensitive issue tied to the peace process, amid concerns about far-right agitation and social media-driven unrest linked to immigration fears.