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Or sign-in if you have an account.Fires burn around police vehicles as (out of view) protesters stand off with police in Glengormley, north of Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 10, 2026. Photo by Paul Faith/AFP via Getty ImagesBELFAST — Sunflower seeds and burnt tins of ghee spill out from the charred facade of an ethnic minority-owned grocery store in Belfast attacked during anti-immigrant riots this week in and around the Northern Irish capital Belfast.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorOn Thursday Mohammad, the manager of the scorched Sham Supermarket, sat on the nearby curb dragging on a cigarette — a habit he has resumed amid the stress of recent days 11 years after quitting smoking.“It’s all burnt, there’s nothing left,” he said of the store that sold Syrian and other produce.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMohammad, who declined to give his surname over safety fears, came to Belfast from Syria in 2017, recalling how local people were welcoming when he first arrived.“It’s become really bad in the last two to three years,” he told AFP, his voice shaking and the lingering smell of burnt plastic filling the air.Violence spread across a number of Belfast neighbourhoods late Tuesday, the night after harrowing footage emerged online of a man being brutally stabbed on a street just north of the city centre.Masked rioters torched vehicles, businesses and homes, with several residences belonging to immigrant families and multiple-occupancy homes associated with asylum accommodation targeted. Some areas then saw violence, though to a lesser extent, Wednesday night.Sudanese refugee Hadi Alodid, 30, has been charged with attempted murder and other counts over Monday night’s shocking knife attack. People stand next to burnt-out cars and homes after demonstrations turned violent the night before, in eastern Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 10, 2026. Photo by Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images“We’ve had reports of people being stopped in their cars to be asked what their nationality is on their way to work,” the U.K. government’s Northern Ireland minister Hilary Benn told Sky News on Thursday. “This is completely unacceptable.”Husnain, a 27-year-old student from Pakistan, feared violence in the wake of the stabbing video going viral online.“This is the system, this will never end,” he said. “People do crimes, and we end up bearing the burden of that.”According to the student, many of his Muslim friends and family have stayed home since the protests erupted.“We are scared… We are living our life in hiding.”The local mosque that he attends, the Belfast Islamic Centre, closed its doors on Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time since it was founded nearly 50 years ago, its chairman Mohammed Arshed said.“Things are a bit tense,” Arshed told AFP.The 73-year-old and others noted the immigrant population in Belfast has grown rapidly in recent years and “that might have worried people”.“But there’s absolutely no need for that because most people that come in are peaceful people,” Arshed said. Burned-out shelves with destroyed packages of food on them inside Sham Supermarket, which was attacked during a violent protest on June 9, in Belfast, Northern Ireland on June 11, 2026, following a second consecutive night of violence. Photo by Natalia Campos/AFP via Getty ImagesStores, cafes and restaurants were tentatively reopening Thursday after nearly two days shut on the advice of authorities and following threats from agitators.One ethnic minority restaurant owner, who declined to be identified, said he closed early Wednesday after being warned to do so by some locals, and would close again Thursday if trouble arose.An image threatening all business in certain areas of Belfast to close early has circulated online each day since the protests began, shared by far-right accounts and others.Sultan, the 25-year-old son of the Sham Supermarket owner, said another shop that he runs has been closed since unrest began Tuesday.“It’s affecting all businesses… local people, also innocent people, businesses,” said Sultan. “People are losing money every minute.”He added the damage to Sham Supermarket — which was also targeted in anti-immigrant protests in 2024 — could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds after a proportion of their stocks were burnt beyond recognition.As Sultan spoke, another employee removed and discarded charred containers of meat.“You can’t explain the feelings,” he added. “But hopefully we can continue and rebuild again. Life is not gonna stop.” A poster in remembrance of stabbing victim Henry Nowak, killed in Southampton in December 2025, is pictured in Newtownards, east of Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 11, 2026, following two consecutive nights of violence following the June 8 stabbing of Stephen Ogilvie, that triggered the unrest. Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty ImagesOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.