A bus has been set on fire in Belfast as hundreds gathered to stage a protest after a Sudanese migrant was charged with attempted murder.
More than 200 masked men and youths broke off from a main gathering in Cloughfern before setting the vehicle alight.
GB News understands the Glider bus had been hijacked before the fire broke out.
A wheelie bin was also set on fire during the protest staged on Newtownards Road.
Metro and Glider bus services have now been suspended until further notice.
Masked men were later seen kicking in doors and breaking windows.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland deployed its Tactical Support Group units and arranged for a helicopter to oversee the response following reports of demonstrations across Ulster tonight.
The force's response came after thousands of protesters gathered across Northern Ireland following reports of a suspected knife attack in Belfast last night.
A bus was set on fire in Belfast
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Protesters assembled in other corners of the province, including Antrim and Londonderry.
Democratic Unionist Party MLA Paul Givan, who attended a "peaceful protest" in Lisburn, urged demonstrators not to "distract" from their concerns about uncontrolled immigration.
He said: "It is important that people do conduct themselves in a peaceful manner to make sure that the key issues here around immigration can be heard and we are not distracted by any form of violence.
"That will only distract. People should express their views in a peaceful manner."
Hundreds of protesters have gathered across Northern Ireland
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A separate protest took place in Southampton, where demonstrations took place last week following the murder of 18-year-old finance student Henry Nowak.
Following tonight's outbreak of disorder, the PSNI also urged people across Northern Ireland to remain calm.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire.
"We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk.
Masked men also set fire to a wheelie bin in the Northern Irish capital
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"Officers are on the ground, working alongside partner agencies, responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe.
“We are again appealing for calm and ask all voices of influence within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder.”
A Sudanese asylum seeker, 30, was charged in connection with the knife attack earlier today.
He was charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and threats to kill.
The PSNI is calling for calm across Ulster
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The 30-year-old entered Northern Ireland by crossing over from the Republic of Ireland in 2023.
The unnamed asylum seeker made the journey to the UK after leaving Sudan and eventually arriving in France.
However, the Home Office quickly approved his asylum claim shortly after arriving in Northern Ireland and granted him leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
The victim, who was identified as a man in his forties, suffered injuries to his eyes, back and face.
Despite the alleged attacker crossing over from the Republic of Ireland, Dublin's Department of Justice said it was "not in a position to comment".