Episode
Why Belfast’s troubled past made violence inevitable
- Podcast
- This Is Why
- Published
- Jun 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 870
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.skynews.com
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Summary
The riots which brought mass disorder to the streets of Belfast on Tuesday night weren’t just a reaction to a brutal stabbing in the city the night before. According to Professor Ian Acheson, they were also an expression of the rage and anger felt by a divided community ignored by politicians and policy makers. The violence has been rightly condemned after houses were set alight and police cars attacked. But Professor Acheson – an expert in counter extremism – argues it shouldn’t come as any surprise that tensions over migration and social deprivation have once again boiled over. Mhari Aurora spoke to the author and journalist.