UK minister says violence in Northern Ireland is racist thuggery

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-PREVIEW:48000:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-STREAM:22.050:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-STREAM:48000:M4A aac

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-STREAM:48000:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-STREAM:48000:WAV wav

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA784711062026RP1-STREAM:48000M:WAV wav

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-PREVIEW:48000:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-STREAM:22.050:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-STREAM:48000:M4A aac

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-STREAM:48000:MP3 mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-STREAM:48000:WAV wav

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOA785611062026RP1-STREAM:48000M:WAV wav

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP784711062026RP1-BASEIMAGE:960X540 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP784711062026RP1-THUMBNAIL:160X90 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP784711062026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP784711062026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:512X288 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP785611062026RP1-BASEIMAGE:960X540 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP785611062026RP1-THUMBNAIL:160X90 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP785611062026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOP785611062026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:512X288 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:2000:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:5128:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:MPG mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:700:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:8256:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:8256M:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:SRT srt

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:VTT vtt

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV784711062026RP1-STREAM:SHOTLIST:JSON json

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:2000:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:5128:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:MPG mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:700:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:8256:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:8256M:16X9:MP4 H264/mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:SRT srt

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:CLOSEDCAPTION:VTT vtt

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LOV785611062026RP1-STREAM:SHOTLIST:JSON json

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I50:MP4 mp4

Read more UK minister says violence in Northern Ireland is racist thuggery

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I60:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:2128:16X9:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD525I30:MPG mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD625I25:MPG mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD784711062026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:768X432 jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I50:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:13756:16X9:HD1080I60:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:1756:16X9:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:2128:16X9:MP4 mp4

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD525I30:MPG mpeg

Read more JPMorgan resets UnitedHealth stock target for 2026

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-STREAM:6756:16X9:SD625I25:MPG mpeg

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-THUMBNAILGRID jpegBaseline

tag:reuters.com,2026:binary_LWD785611062026RP1-VIEWIMAGE:768X432 jpegBaseline

LONDON – Two days of anti-immigration violence in Northern Ireland is nothing but racist thuggery, Britain’s minister for the province said on Thursday, after police deployed water cannon to tackle rioters for a second night.

Hilary Benn said there was less disorder on the streets of Belfast on Wednesday night as opposed to Tuesday, when rioters torched homes and news1vehicles, targeting ethnic minorities following a knife attack for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder.

Many of those who did clash with police on Wednesday were seeking to get to a hotel outside Belfast that has been targeted in the past for housing asylum seekers.

Asked on Sky News if violent scenes were racist riots rather than protests he said: “Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of the color of their skin, how else can you describe them? That is racist thuggery.”

Benn said the violence had caused deep trauma in the province.

“It’s really difficult to convey the genuine sense of fear there is on the part of the ethnic minority community here in Northern Ireland as they’ve witnessed these scenes, reports of people being stopped in their cars to be asked what their nationality is, nurses going to work. This is appalling.”

Read more US and Iran trade attacks for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Writing by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.