Tensions in the UK have escalated into a seventh day of riots, with Belfast being engulfed by violence on Tuesday evening. The Woodvale Road area of North Belfast has seen police intervention following reports of disturbances.

A fleet of police vehicles was observed heading towards the hotspot, and a police helicopter has been monitoring the situation from above. Local transport services have been disrupted, with bus routes through the area temporarily halted, reports BelfastLive. 

Earlier in the evening, chaos erupted as a car ploughed into an estate agents on Woodvale Road. In a separate incident, a local photographer’s vehicle was targeted by a mob of masked individuals who inflicted damage and attempted to break into the car.

Adding to the night’s turmoil, a group of youths launched an assault on a migrant-owned shop on Falls Road around 6pm. Social media footage captured the large crowd gathering outside the premises before initiating the unprovoked attack.

The police have reported that during the melee, a young boy fell victim to an assault by up to 10 youths, suffering minor facial injuries. Authorities are treating this as a hate crime, reports the Mirror.

“It was reported at around 6.10pm that a large group of young people had been throwing eggs at a shop. During the incident, a young boy had been assaulted by up to 10 youths. He sustained a minor facial injury in this assault which is being treated as a hate crime,” a spokesperson stated.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, who was present at the scene, expressed his disgust at the events in west Belfast where locals rallied to defend a business assailed by youths.

Carroll conveyed his alarm over the involvement of youngsters in such disturbances, stating: “It is deeply concerning to see young people swept up in such behaviour, especially when we have seen such sickening and widespread attacks on minorities in recent days,”.

He called on everyone to cease these assaults, promoting a message of harmony: “I would appeal to all young people and everyone else to desist from these types of attacks, and to stand for diversity, inclusion and a welcome west Belfast.”

Although shocked by the violence, he praised the community’s swift action against it: “While tonight’s attack was awful, it is representative of a minority and I commend the immediate response of the community.”

The response was instant and united as Carroll noted: “Scores of residents and community activists, including People Before Profit members, turned out to support the shop at short notice.”

He urged a strong communal stance against prejudice: “We must state in no uncertain terms that migrants and all minorities are welcome here and that we will not tolerate such attacks on our neighbours.”

One Twitter user has suggested petrol bombs are being used by rioters, taking to X they wrote: “Flames burning on the tarmac beside a police line in east Belfast. It looks like petrol bombs have been thrown at PSNI vehicles on the Newtownards Road tonight.”

Hundreds of people have so far taken to the streets on Tuesday in the Woodvale Road area, yet despite some small pockets of violence, the mood is described as “mostly watchful” by eyewitnesses at the scene.

From footage being shared across social media platforms, protestors span the entire spectrum of age, with some children even having been caught on camera taking part in an attack on a Muslim-owned shop on the Falls Road. During the attack they appeared to throw stones at the shop, and when confronted by the owners, even began to kick and punch them in a bid to avoid being apprehended.

In addition, just before midnight, further pockets of disorder were reported in the eastern side of the city, with one twitter user describing “Flames burning on the tarmac beside a police line” after what looked like petrol bombs have been thrown at PSNI vehicles on the Newtownards Road.

In seeking assistance, the police have requested witness statements via their online platform or through anonymity with Crimestoppers.

Moreover, this attack wasn’t isolated; there were also coordinated hate incidents nearby. Evidently, multiple residences belonging to international inhabitants were targeted, with worrying footage disseminating online portraying masked individuals kicking down doors.

Due to the ongoing ruckus, a significant police presence from the PSNI continues to be maintained in the area, with multiple police Land Rovers reported at the scene.