Belfast police received 'target lists' of extremists months before violent riots

Northern Ireland's police service was repeatedly warned over eight months that anti-immigrant activists were distributing addresses of properties that became targets in violent riots this week in Belfast. Accountability Project Northern Ireland, a volunteer group formed last summer to monitor online anti-immigrant activity, sent dozens of reports to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) between November 2025 and June 2026, according to The Guardian.

The group flagged a growing focus on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) by anti-immigrant and far-right individuals, first observed in August 2025. So-called "target lists" with addresses had been circulating among far-right groups since August 2025, and one such list was sent to the PSNI in January 2026. These addresses were among the locations targeted in the recent anti-immigrant unrest this week.

Journalists from The Guardian saw a screenshot of an email sent in January to a PSNI inspector that included one of these lists. Activists say a similar list circulated this week on social media and messaging apps. The PSNI had previously warned against distributing home addresses, stating it caused families and residents "an extreme level of emotional distress."

Reports sent to the PSNI focused particularly on activity in the Newtownabbey area, north of Belfast, which has been at the center of some of the worst incidents in recent days. John Blair, an Alliance Party MLA for South Antrim, told BBC Radio 4's "Today" program that the area had seen "a mob intent on violence and destruction." Reports also mention a Facebook post stating that homes in the Glengormley area "will be considered legitimate targets and will be treated as such." The post continued: "Anyone caught funding or helping these animals to be housed will be considered just as guilty."

Anti-racism activists have voiced their fury and frustration that months of warnings were not heeded before the violence erupted. The unrest saw homes and cars torched, and racist checkpoints set up on main roads. A spokesperson for Accountability Project Northern Ireland stated that the warnings were not taken seriously.

“

o mulțime aflată într-o rampă de violență și distrugere