Incidents of violence reemerged in the Donegall Road region in southern Belfast on Monday night. Social media videos portrayed an alarmed and strong police presence in the area and their subsequent attack with projectiles. In light of the continuance of unrest, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued a public warning on Monday night, urging citizens to avoid the Donegall Road and Sandy Row locations. This sequence of events was a continuation of previous violent incidents caused by an anti-immigration demonstration in the city on Saturday, which resulted in damages to some businesses.
A less attended protest took place in Belfast’s city centre during Monday night. The recent violent eruption sprouted a few hours later in the same locality where two business establishments had been targeted on Saturday. Videos on social media platforms depicted law enforcement officials ordering crowds to scatter.
Approximately 100 individuals were observed congregating in the Donegall Road area, as reported. The street was cordoned off by officers dressed in riot gear, during which several fires were ignited.
Earlier on Monday, a resolution to provide monetary assistance to businesses that had suffered damage during Saturday’s upheaval was approved at a Belfast City Council meeting.
The issue of the violent occurrences following an anti-immigration demonstration in Belfast will be discussed at a Northern Ireland Assembly meeting scheduled for later this week.
Monday saw four men, associated with Saturday’s disorder, appearing at the Belfast Magistrates’ Court. Authorities anticipate further disorder connected to future planned anti-immigration protests in Belfast in the coming days, as revealed in court. A judge denied bail to the four men, labelling the weekend’s disorderly scenes in the city as “absolutely disgraceful”.