Minister condemns ‘racist thuggery’ as violence returns to Northern Ireland
Key takeaways
- The return of unrest to the province, which suffered decades of sectarian violence before a peace deal was agreed in the 1990s, has provoked deep concern.
- Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn on Thursday slammed the previous two days of anti-immigration violence in the capital, Belfast.
- Benn appeared relieved to report that the disorder on the streets of Belfast had lessened on Wednesday night compared with Tuesday.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The return of unrest to the province, which suffered decades of sectarian violence before a peace deal was agreed in the 1990s, has provoked deep concern.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo People walk past the remains of a burnt-out car outside boarded-up houses off the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, Northern Ireland on June 11, 2026 [Paul Faith/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters Published On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026The United Kingdom’s minister for Northern Ireland has condemned the return of mob violence to the province as “racist thuggery”.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn on Thursday slammed the previous two days of anti-immigration violence in the capital, Belfast. The return of unrest to the province, which suffered decades of sectarian violence before a peace deal was reached in the 1990s, has provoked deep concern.