Protesters set vehicles ablaze, attack building in Belfast after stabbing
Al Jazeera
Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters set buses and cars ablaze and attacked a building near central Belfast after a Sudanese man was arrested on suspicion of a stabbing that left one person critically injured. Police declared a major incident. Political leaders condemned the violence and appealed for calm.
Hundreds of protesters, many wearing masks, gathered at multiple locations across Belfast on Tuesday, setting a bus and several cars ablaze. A building near the city center was also set on fire, with residents reporting that demonstrators ignited trash bins and threw petrol bombs.
Crowds also gathered in Antrim, about 25 kilometers west of Belfast. The unrest followed the arrest of a Sudanese man in connection with a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday evening that left a man in his 40s with severe injuries to his eye, face, and back.
Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, condemned the protests and appealed for calm. She posted on social media platform X: “Masked men burning homes, forcing families from their homes, is nothing short of disgusting cowardice. Racism, intimidation, and violence are wrong wherever they occur. There is no excuse or justification for tonight’s attacks. No one wants to see this on our streets, and I again appeal for calm.”
Call for calm
The suspect in the stabbing, a 30-year-old man, was charged on Tuesday evening with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon in a public place, and making threats to kill. He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Deputy Chief Constable Ryan Henderson of the Police Service of Northern Ireland described the disorder as a “major incident” and appealed for calm, while praising members of the public who intervened before police arrived, reportedly saving the victim’s life.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “horrific” and “appalling,” emphasizing his “zero tolerance” for street violence. His office urged calm to allow police the time and space to conduct a proper investigation.
Rising tensions
The attack comes amid heightened tensions in the UK after the murder of a student in Southampton who was handcuffed while dying, following false claims by the killer, a Sikh, about a racist attack. Although both the victim and attacker were British, protesters in Southampton gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers, holding signs reading “Illegal immigration is destroying our civilization.”
The Belfast attack immediately raised questions about the suspect’s immigration status. Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson called on authorities to curb “uncontrolled immigration.” Anti-immigration figures such as Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, demanded details about the attacker.
Jon Boutcher, Chief Constable of Northern Ireland, said the suspect was living in the UK under a five-year visa granted in September 2023. It is believed he traveled from Sudan to Paris and Dublin before seeking asylum in Belfast. “There is no trace of this suspect in any national security databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland,” Boutcher added.
Leaders of Northern Ireland’s main political parties jointly condemned the stabbing, calling it “horrific” and stating “there is no place for such brutality in our society.” They appealed for calm and warned that the riots would only harm their communities.
