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UK minister says violence in Northern Ireland is racist thuggery

By Reuters Reuters

Updated June 11, 2026 1:33 AM

A fire burns in bins as anti-immigrant protesters clash with police at Antrim road, following a knife attack on June 8, which left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a phone. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes — A fire burns in bins as anti-immigrant protesters clash with police at Antrim road, following a knife attack on June 8, which left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a phone. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Isabel Infantes Reuters

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LONDON - Two days of anti-immigration violence in Northern Ireland is nothing but racist thuggery, Britain's minister for the province said on Thursday, after police deployed water cannon to tackle rioters for a second night.

Hilary Benn said there was less disorder on the streets of Belfast on Wednesday night as opposed to Tuesday, when rioters torched homes and news1vehicles, targeting ethnic minorities following a knife attack for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder.

Many of those who did clash with police on Wednesday were seeking to get to a hotel outside Belfast that has been targeted in the past for housing asylum seekers.

Asked on Sky News if violent scenes were racist riots rather than protests he said: "Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of the color of their skin, how else can you describe them? That is racist thuggery."

Benn said the violence had caused deep trauma in the province.

"It's really difficult to convey the genuine sense of fear there is on the part of the ethnic minority community here in Northern Ireland as they've witnessed these scenes, reports of people being stopped in their cars to be asked what their nationality is, nurses going to work. This is appalling."

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Writing by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton)

Police use a water cannon on anti-immigrant protesters, following a knife attack on June 8, which left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes — Police use a water cannon on anti-immigrant protesters, following a knife attack on June 8, which left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Isabel Infantes Reuters

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 1:21 AM.