Is it safe to travel to Belfast? Latest police advice after violent protests hit Northern Irish capital
Public transport was halted on Tuesday night after vehicles were set on fire
BigThink
Traffic is returning to normal in Belfast on Wednesday morning after hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday evening following a stabbing attack, throwing transport into chaos.
Police and politicians in Belfast are calling for calm today after several vehicles and houses caught fire across the city in the anti-immigration demonstrations, which turned violent.
The protests caused traffic to be seriously disrupted as roads closed, and buses and trains were suspended, although as of Wednesday morning services are back to normal.
Here is what visitors to Belfast should know after the protests.
What happened in Belfast?
Police said a Sudanese man, 30, had been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing attack, and will appear in Belfast Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.
Despite calls for calm from police and political leaders, anti-immigration demonstrations in Belfast turned violent on Tuesday night.
There were multiple reports of roads being blocked and vehicles set alight, while Rescue Service officers had to remove some residents from houses after they caught fire.
Masked men set commercial bins alight and pushed them into a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road in the east of the city on Tuesday evening.
Is traffic affected?
A Glider bus was set alight in east Belfast on Tuesday, prompting all bus and train services to be suspended, including buses to Belfast and Dublin airport.
Northern Ireland's public transport operator, Translink, reported this morning that all bus and train services are back operating, but delays and disruption are possible. This is due to debris on road and rail lines.
Tuesday evening saw disorder along Newtownards Road. TrafficWatch NI said that Upper Newtownards Road reopened later that evening.
In an update at 8.10am, it said: “Checking with Police the lower Newtownards Rd is open again to traffic.”
Newtownards Road is one of Belfast's main thoroughfares connecting the A20 to the city centre.
What are the police saying?
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson put out a statement on the evening of Tuesday, 9 June, urging everyone to remain calm after the protests broke out.
“Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire.
“We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk,” he said. “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.”
Party leaders across Northern Ireland have also put out a group statement following Tuesday night, calling for “calm and for space to allow justice to take its course”.
Group leaders at Belfast City Council condemned the incident on Tuesday night.
A statement read: “Violence of this kind is not wanted in our city, and our thoughts today are with the victim and his family, those who witnessed this incident and those who intervened.”
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