Belfast knife attack victim's family says sharing of false information is 'deeply distressing' after second night of disorder

The family of the man who was seriously injured in a stabbing in Belfast have called for an end to violence in the city and described the sharing of false information on social media as "deeply distressing".

In a statement released through the police during a second night of disorder in Northern Ireland, Stephen Ogilvie's relatives said they had been left "feeling disgusted" by the scenes.

Belfast latest: How second night of disorder unfolded

Mr Ogilvie, who lost his left eye and suffered other injuries, is in a stable condition, they clarified – saying the amount of false information shared online was "forcing" them to provide an update.

Protesters set homes, a bus and cars on fire as they reacted to the stabbing this week.

After widespread rioting on Tuesday, the House of Lords was told some 27 people had been forced to flee their homes, with Labour peer Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick describing the violence as a "pogrom of people of colour".

"People went door-to-door to try and target foreign nationals to burn them out of their homes," said Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent.

There was further disorder yesterday as crowds attacked police with missiles. Officers deployed a water cannon in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, on the outskirts of Belfast.

'We do not share the same values'

In a statement issued via the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on Wednesday evening, Mr Ogilvie's family said they wanted to make clear they do not support violence.

"We have been left feeling disgusted by the scenes that unfolded yesterday across Northern Ireland in the wake of what happened," they said, adding that "peaceful protest is only ever the way forward".

Their statement continued: "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility – do not do this in the name of our loved one, as we do not share the same values."

They added an appeal for anyone with information to share it through the proper channels.

"If you know anything at all about the attack or saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, please go to the police and stop sharing false information on social media, as it is deeply distressing," they said.

Police warning and social media criticism

Police said they had been made aware of inaccurate images circulating on social media, claiming to show the victim of the stabbing attack.

"They are not related to anyone involved in the attempted murder," the PSNI said. "We believe these images are being used to arouse fear and hatred. We would reiterate that members of the public should not share footage of the attack."

In another statement about addresses being shared, the force said: "Any person who publishes or distributes material which is threatening or abusive may also be committing an offence. We will be investigating any such posts which come to our attention."

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she had asked Ofcom to contact X and other social media platforms to discuss online content potentially linked to the disorder.

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Billionaire X owner Elon Musk has faced criticism after using his own online account to highlight calls for people to take to the streets in response to the knife attack, which happened on Monday night.

He defended himself against accusations he was inflaming tensions and blamed immigration policy.

Communications regulator Ofcom said some of the disorder appeared "to have been incited online", adding: "This has included racially motivated incidents of violence, arson attacks on homes and vehicles, and attacks against police."

The watchdog said it has contacted all major platforms "where we believe there are specific risks around the presence of illegal content relating to the civil unrest".

Concerns have also been raised about messages encouraging disorder being forwarded many times on WhatsApp.

One message said to have circulated was urging men of the age of 18 and over to "wear dark clothing and be prepared to fight or be arrested".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to "crack down on anyone who is fuelling this division".

Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, was remanded in custody after appearing in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over the stabbing attack.

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