Image source, PA Media

As we reported earlier, a bus has been set alight on the Newtownards Road.

Northern Ireland's public transport operator Translink has said: “We utterly condemn this attack on our service.

“The safety of our staff and customers is our top priority and all Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus and Goldliner services (operating in and out of Belfast) have been suspended.

“We are liaising closely with the PSNI and will continue to follow their guidance.”

Dan Johnson
BBC News

Image source, PA

I'm at the Newtownards Road where a Glider bus has been set on fire.

Fire engines and police cars are at the bottom of the road and appear to be assessing the situation before approaching.

Richard Morgan
BBC News NI

Police officers are observing those gathered at the top of Antrim town.Protestors are blocking traffic from entering or leaving Antrim through Fountain Street.

About 100 to 150 people have gathered around the Broadway roundabout in Belfast.

A number of them are men with masks and hoods on. An ambulance was allowed through the barricade on its way to the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital.

Dan Johnson
BBC News

More than 100 people are gathered in Newtownards Road, a unionist area on the edge of Belfast city centre.

Bins have been set alight in the middle of the road and we’ve just heard two explosions as a bus, which had stopped, also caught fire.

Many of this group are young, some are masked or wearing balaclavas. Some are waving flares.

Police officers have blocked both ends of the road but a line of officers which was waiting away from the group has just stepped away.

Ita Dungan
BBC News NI

A group of at least 100 masked men have walked down Station Road in Whiteabbey, just north of Belfast, turned off into Abbeyville Street and started to throw stones at a house.

Eight to 10 PSNI land rovers are on the street containing the crowd. A police surveillance vehicle and helicopter are on the scene.

Claire Graham
BBC News NI

About 200 people have gathered at Freedom Corner on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, many wearing scarves covering their faces.

The disruption is causing a roadblock on the Albertbridge Road.

Northern Ireland bus and train operator Translink say that all their Metro and Glider services are off until further notice.

It said it will update people via social media this evening.

Several cars have been blocked from getting onto the M2 in Belfast near Yorkgate.

People in dark clothing are standing in front of the cars bringing traffic to a standstill.

Gabija Gataveckaite
BBC News NI Dublin correspondent

Earlier, we heard officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) say that it was understood the knife attack suspect had come to Belfast from Dublin.

We asked the Irish Department of Justice for information and they responded that as it was a PSNI investigation it was "not in a position to comment".

BBC News NI has also put queries to Ireland's police force An Garda Síochána.

Lili Busby
BBC News NI

We are starting to get our first reports of people out on the streets blocking roads in some areas of Northern Ireland, and so far all peacefully.

There are more than 100 people gathered in Antrim. In Newtownabbey, the top of Doagh Road and Station Road is closed, with several hundred people gathered and two police vehicles in attendance.

There are also protesters at the Seven Towers roundabout in Ballymena, where the PSNI are diverting traffic with dozens of people gathered.

There are also reports of the Belfast Road in Bangor being closed after a big crowd gathered.

Earlier today, First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly along with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable all urged for calm.

Justice Minister Naomi Long implored people not to get involved in protests that have been called for on social media.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher called for people to let justice take its course and said there would be an increased police presence on the streets tonight and in the coming days

Chris Mason
Political editor

In all of the significant differences between incidents like this, there are some patterns that we can tease out.

There's the frequent videoing of incidents that are then circulated online, big questions that are posed about immigration and big questions too about integration or the lack of it.

There is also a demand levelled at the authorities to release information quickly to avoid an information vacuum online.

But with the challenge for the police and authorities is that in doing so, mistakes can be made.

And then there's the political reaction. Political leaders are seeking to articulate the anger, the horror, concern, the fear from many but also seeking to emphasise a desire to avoid protest or even violence.

Ita Dungan
BBC News NI

There's a significant police presence in North Belfast where cordons are still in place following last night's knife attack.

On a day where there has been widespread disgust and condemnation, the community here is trying to come to terms with what happened.

Roads in the city are generally quieter than usual this evening and it appears that many finished work early and made their way home.

Some businesses, schools and sports clubs also made the decision to close early in response to speculation on social media.

A man arrested for the knife attack in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast last night has been charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill, the PSNI have confirmed.

The 30-year-old is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

Maguire adds that people are worried for their children.

"It's not a very good situation whenever families and young people have got to witness such a violent attack.

"Then, naturally enough, the emotions run very, very high and they get very, very scared about what potentially could have happened in that situation," he tells the PM programme.

He says that posts on social media can "terrify people".

Manus Maguire is a member of the Girdwood Community Forum and acts as a community worker in the area.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme he said most people are "shocked, traumatised and horrified".

He also added they are "frightened for their own children".

He says "misinformation" about the incident is being shared online and well known people in "far-right circles" are coming into the area.

"That's causing a lot of distress. The residents know that there's big problems here but they don't think that the way to solve this is by beginning to scapegoat people from an ethnic minority background."

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

Stormont is not always associated with cool heads.

But I think there was a real determination this afternoon to try and grip this.

We started the day here with an urgent debate being called in the assembly where we saw MLAs of every political shade condemning what happened last night.

We then had a joint statement from all the leaders of the largest parties urging calm.

It ended with a joint press conference after 16:00 GMT and the timing of that was no coincidence, it really was an attempt to try and show unity between those within the executive, alongside the police force and the policing board.

Jahswill Emmanuel, the founder of Multi-Ethnic Sports and Cultures Northern Ireland, says he's "saddened by the situation and [his] prayers and thoughts are with the victim and his loved ones".

"We are still here to contribute positively and to make Northern Ireland a safe and welcoming place.

"There is no harm in peaceful protest at all, but look at the incidents in Ballymena and in Sandy Row, where houses and businesses were burnt. It's not going to do us any good."

Speaking to Evening Extra he says he wants to reassure the community that "we are right here beside the family of the victim".

"Anybody would be angry with this incident. But this is our community. My son and daughter were born here, we have no other place to go. So now we have to work together, alongside the police."

"We are still one as a community. Don't let one person divide us."

Image source, Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland is asking the public to "let the PSNI do its job with all the resources it can utilise".

A statement from Liam Kelly says: "There is understandable anger and frustration in the community, but that shouldn’t lead to any unrest or disruptive action on our streets.

“This is a time for calm and cool heads to prevail and not sudden, reactive action that could cause fear, disorder and unrest.

“This was a shocking and barbaric attack and my thoughts are with the victim."

Image source, Aodhán Roberts

A local resident, who did not wish to be named, and who alerted police to the attack told the BBC she was "standing in the street shaking" while making the call.

She said she was in her home with her partner and children when they heard screaming outside.

She said a delivery driver handed his phone to her so she could talk to 999. I said: "You just need to get here, he's gonna die".

The woman said she had "never seen anything like it".

In the wake of the attack, she said she is "fearful" to walk to her local shop alone, and is "absolutely petrified" to allow her children to play in the street.