Newtownabbey

Newtownabbey, located eight miles north of Belfast, has been the scene of recent anti-immigration protests. During one incident, police deployed water cannon to disperse a crowd of approximately 300 people near the Sandyknowes roundabout. The crowd had reportedly burned a truck and thrown bricks and other missiles. These events are part of wider unrest in Northern Ireland, which has seen police use plastic bullets and receive reinforcements to contain disturbances. The violence has been condemned as "racist thuggery" by the Northern Ireland secretary, with reports of individuals being targeted based on their origin or skin color. Monitoring groups had previously warned the police about online circulation of addresses targeted by anti-immigration activists, raising concerns about the lead-up to these riots.