PSNI Warned for Months About Addresses Targeted in Belfast Riots

Police in Northern Ireland received repeated warnings over eight months that specific addresses were being circulated online and could be targeted during anti-immigration unrest in and around Belfast, according to a volunteer monitoring group. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was sent dozens of reports from November 2025 to June 2026 flagging what the group described as a “hitlist” of properties shared within far-right networks.

Some of the locations identified in those warnings were attacked during disorder this week, campaigners said. The reports focused largely on the Newtownabbey area north of Belfast, which has seen some of the most serious incidents.

The Accountability Project Northern Ireland, formed in summer 2025 to monitor online anti-immigration activity, said it first observed a growing focus on Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in August 2025. A screenshot of an email sent to a PSNI inspector in January 2026, attaching one such list, has been reviewed. Campaigners said a similar list has continued to circulate on social media and messaging apps during the latest unrest.

The monitoring group said it made about 50 submissions to police from August 2025 to June 2026, with many of the reports documenting the sharing of addresses and calls to oppose properties believed to house asylum seekers and refugees. The group also warned that language in posts and messages was becoming increasingly hostile and racially charged, with narratives portraying refugees as threats, according to the reports described.

The PSNI warned earlier this week against sharing home addresses, saying it had left families and residents “extremely distressed.” Campaigners said the warnings to police were intended to prevent escalation and reduce the risk of targeted attacks on homes.

Warnings described a “hitlist” and rising online hostility

The Accountability Project Northern Ireland said its reports highlighted repeated references to HMOs and specific streets, particularly in Newtownabbey and surrounding areas. The group said it had raised concerns for months that online rhetoric and organizing could translate into real-world disorder and property attacks.

In an email sent to a PSNI inspector on June 5, 2026, the group said concerns were escalating. The email said some members of minority ethnic communities were stockpiling food due to uncertainty over what might happen next.

Campaigners cite arson, checkpoints and community disruption

Campaigners expressed anger that the warnings were not acted upon sooner, saying the unrest this week included homes and cars being burned and the setting up of checkpoints on main roads. They said the disorder left minority ethnic residents fearful and disrupted daily life in affected neighborhoods.

Police have not publicly detailed what operational steps were taken in response to the monitoring group’s reports. Attention is likely to focus on whether further violence can be prevented and whether police take additional measures to deter the sharing of personal addresses online.