A rioter accidentally set himself on fire while attempting to hurl a petrol bomb as riots continued in Northern Ireland on Wednesday night. The protestor's jacket ignited as he tried to throw the device in Portadown. Video footage circulating on social media depicts three masked protestors preparing to launch the petrol bomb before fleeing when one of them catches fire. He can be seen running towards the camera, frantically patting his back in an effort to extinguish the flames.
Chaos Spreads Across Belfast and Portadown
Wednesday night marked another episode of chaos in Belfast and across Northern Ireland following the horrific knife attack on Monday evening. In Belfast, police used water cannons on protesters in Co Antrim after being targeted with bricks, and video clips showed scores of men dressed entirely in black and wearing face masks removing wheelie bins from outside residences and setting them alight. In the Portadown area, police brought in dogs to handle the anticipated outbreak of violence. A house in the area was also reportedly petrol bombed.
Chief Constable Condemns Violence
In the wake of Tuesday evening's turmoil, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland described the disorder on the streets of Northern Ireland as an "act of self-harm" to communities. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher stated: "This disorder is an insult to the victim of this assault, an insult to the members of the public who bravely stepped forward to save his life and the officers who rushed to the scene. The criminal justice system needs to take its course. Let that follow due process. A man has appeared in court today charged with this attempted murder and, separately, another man has been charged with riot following the scenes in Newtownabbey. I'd appeal to everyone in Northern Ireland to take control. If you have a niece, nephew, brother, sister or a member of your local sports club, if you've seen them at the disorder, stop them from coming out today. This has got to stop. We cannot have a society that allows this to happen."
Political Leaders Slam Violence
Wednesday's night violence has been slammed by leaders, after blazes were lit at the Sandyknowles roundabout. Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said a second night of devastation and chaos "needs to be condemned in the strongest possible way." "It is racism, it is intimidation and absolute thuggery," she said. "These acts serve no one and only cause harm and fear within communities. It is disgraceful and disgusting. I utterly condemn the incident at my department's depot in Sandyknowes and the further disruption we have seen with transport services suspended and businesses closing early. I thank the police for their response and I reiterate the calls for this violence to stop."
