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Belfast erupts after stabbing
Violent anti-immigration protests erupted in Belfast after a knife attack sparked outrage and calls for action across Northern Ireland, with hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets on Tuesday night local time.
“In short: A Sudanese man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a "brutal" knife attack in Belfast”
The demonstrations followed a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday evening that police described as a “critical incident,” and a 30-year-old Sudanese national was arrested and detained on suspicion of attempted murder.
Police said the suspect had been granted leave to remain in the UK in September 2023 after claiming asylum, and they said the victim, a man in his 40s, suffered significant injuries to his eyes along with slash wounds to his face and back.
Television footage showed a bus engulfed in flames in east Belfast, while masked youths gathered at multiple locations across the city and police responded by deploying armoured vehicles and increasing their presence amid fears of wider unrest.
Northern Ireland political leaders and police urged restraint as the disorder continued, with First Minister Michelle O’Neill saying, “Last night’s attack in North Belfast was horrific and shocking.”
Calls for calm amid clashes
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson urged calm and said, “I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in response to this,” as police described “sporadic pockets of disorder” across Northern Ireland.
Arlene Foster, the former first minister of Northern Ireland, told Sky News she watched the scenes “with great sadness” and said the violence was “counter-productive,” adding that those causing it “have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.”
In Belfast, protesters set fire to a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast and residents were evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out on Lendrick Street, according to ITV News.
Sky News reported that Michelle O’Neill slammed the “attacks” happening during protests in Belfast, writing that “Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice.”
Naomi Long, Northern Ireland’s justice minister, said “hate cannot be allowed” to win and warned there was “no place for masked thugs to take to the streets and threaten, intimidate, disrupt and cause wanton damage.”
Immigration debate and next steps
The unrest intensified the debate over UK asylum policy, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing the incident as “sickening” and his office saying, “It is time for calm.”
Police said the incident is not currently being treated as terrorism, and Henderson said police were trying to determine the motive while adding, “At this stage, we have no information to suggest that this was a terrorist-related incident.”
Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect was living in the UK under a five-year visa granted in September 2023 and that he was believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris and Dublin before claiming asylum in Belfast.
The BBC reported that protests also spread across Scotland, with hundreds of demonstrators gathering in Glasgow city centre and about 100 staging a demonstration in Ayr, after a man was charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack in Belfast.
As protests continued, police and senior politicians urged people not to incite hate or target particular communities, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoting Henderson that the “brutal attack will have sent shock waves through the community, causing real concern.”
