Protest at Greenock Asylum Hotel
Two men were arrested and three police officers sustained injuries during a protest outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Greenock, which is used to accommodate asylum seekers.
During the demonstration on Wednesday evening, two police vehicles were damaged as objects were thrown at officers near the hotel.
This incident occurred 24 hours after unrest and a series of racially motivated assaults in Glasgow, which followed a knife attack in Belfast on Monday.
Police Scotland reported that the two arrested men received fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour offences, and investigations are ongoing.
"Our priority is public safety and we had an appropriate policing plan in place for last night's demonstration," said Chief Superintendent Rhona Fraser.
"Officers were attacked and police vehicles were damaged. I strongly condemn that violence and there is no place for it in Scotland.
Officers continue to be in local areas and are engaged with communities to show support and listen to concerns."
Related Unrest in Glasgow and Other Cities
Earlier, Police Scotland stated that five people, including two officers, were injured after hundreds of masked individuals marched through Glasgow city centre on Tuesday evening.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said that people were "attacked because of the colour of their skin."
On the same day, police attended several smaller but peaceful demonstrations in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Perth, Ayr, and Paisley, where no arrests were made.
Violence in Belfast Following Knife Attack
The unrest in Scotland coincided with violence in Belfast after Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese national, was charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvy in the city.
The Home Office confirmed that Alodid entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status.
During a court hearing in Belfast, it was revealed that the victim lost his left eye, suffered damage to his right eye, and sustained injuries to his neck and back.
Alodid was remanded in custody following the hearing.
Police Response and Mutual Aid
On Wednesday night, Belfast experienced further unrest, with a water cannon deployed to disperse a large crowd at the Sandyknowes roundabout in Glengormley, approximately eight miles (13 km) northwest of the city centre.
During the second night of rioting across Northern Ireland, twelve police officers were injured and sixteen individuals were arrested, although the scale of disorder was less than that of the previous night.
The victim's family expressed that they did not want this "terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility."
Police Scotland is expected to deploy about 90 officers to Northern Ireland under a mutual aid agreement with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
The Scottish Police Federation, representing rank and file officers, stated that the total contingent will include five inspectors.
Northern Ireland's Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, confirmed that 200 additional officers from across the UK will be deployed to help restore order and protect ethnic minorities who have been targeted.
Police Scotland declined to confirm exact numbers but indicated that the agreement was reached after careful consideration to ensure that policing in Scotland would not be adversely affected.
