Bus set on fire during anti-immigration protest in Belfast

A bus was set on fire on Belfast's Newtownards Road as disorder flared during an anti-immigration demonstration in the east of the city. The incident happened on Tuesday evening, when a large crowd gathered in the area for a scheduled protest. The unrest came amid wider demonstrations and road blockages in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland.

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According to the confirmed account, masked men set commercial bins alight and pushed them into a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road. Northern Ireland's public transport operator said it had suspended all services in and out of Belfast after the attack. It said it "utterly condemn[ed]" the incident on its service.

The protest was organised in response to a knife attack in Belfast the previous night. The disorder formed part of a broader wave of demonstrations following Monday night's stabbing, in which a man was left in a serious condition. A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with that attack.

Police said multiple roads had been blocked by groups of masked protesters, while hundreds of people marched through the city and traffic was stopped on a number of roads. The events matter because they have quickly moved beyond a single criminal case into wider public-order disruption. Transport suspension in and out of Belfast affects movement across the city and signals the scale of the unrest.

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The involvement of masked protesters, road blockages and a bus fire also raises the risk of further confrontation as demonstrations continue. The unrest is taking place against a backdrop of anger over immigration, with some protesters linking the demonstrations to that issue. Northern Ireland's Education Minister Paul Givan said any violence at demonstrations would distract from protesters' message.

He attended a protest in Lisburn on Tuesday evening and said people should express their views peacefully. Police commanders and political leaders had earlier appealed for calm. The PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned people against being influenced "from afar through social media".

He also said there would be an increased police presence across Northern Ireland in the coming days to provide help, support and reassurance. What remains unclear is whether the Belfast disorder will spread further, how long transport disruption will last, and whether the protests will remain peaceful or lead to more arrests and damage.

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