Almost three months after consecutive nights of violence in Northern Ireland, 39 people have been arrested in connection with the rioting that began on 9 June. The unrest saw buses hijacked and set on fire, with people targeted due to their skin colour.
The violence erupted after footage of a knife attack was widely circulated on social media, shared by figures including far-right activist Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk. Calls for peaceful anti-immigration protests escalated into violent scenes, predominantly in loyalist areas, where rioters reportedly targeted the homes of refugees and asylum seekers.
Northern Ireland's social housing authority, the Housing Executive, recorded 76 households presenting as homeless in the 48 hours following the violence. Community workers on the ground suggested the actual number was higher, including those who sought refuge with friends or left the country.
During the chaos, a network of groups assisting migrant communities used WhatsApp to coordinate help, aiding over 200 people by taking them to safety. One community worker, Carolyn, transported 22 people 60 miles from Belfast to her home in County Antrim, where they stayed for a week.
East Belfast, a loyalist area, was identified as a hotspot for the violence. Brian Anderson, a Methodist minister with the East Belfast Mission, noted a perception within loyalist communities of losing out to republican areas, which he said, combined with other factors, led to people of other nationalities becoming targets.