Masked Protesters Set Fires in Belfast After Sudanese Man’s Stabbing, Police Say

Violence erupted across Belfast on Tuesday evening after a viral video showed a Sudanese man stabbing someone, and masked protesters set houses and vehicles on fire while attacking police.

“Stabbing suspect appears in court after anti-immigrant protests in Northern Ireland A man from Sudan has appeared in court after being charged with attempted murder in Belfast in a stabbing attack that left a man seriously injured BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- A 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court Wednesday charged with attempted murder over a stabbing attack that left a man seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence in several parts of Northern Ireland”

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The unrest followed a knife attack on Monday in the Kinnaird Avenue area of Belfast, where a man in his 40s suffered serious injuries to his eyes, face and back.

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A 30-year-old Sudanese man, identified in court coverage as Hadi Alodid, was charged with attempted murder and was ordered held in jail after appearing by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

Police said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and that there was no indication the attack was terrorism-related, while Reuters described the anti-immigrant demonstration as being sparked by the viral video.

In the midst of the unrest, the BBC reported that a crowd of about a hundred men forced entry and shattered the windows of homes in Belfast.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the stabbing as “sickening” and said he had “no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets,” while Northern Ireland leaders issued joint calls for calm as police investigated.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill described the violence as “outright thuggery,” saying “Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice.”

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Police in Northern Ireland urged calm after the “critical incident,” with Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson telling a press conference, “I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in response to this.”

Coverage also highlighted how far-right figures amplified the unrest online, with Reuters linking the wave of violence to a call from anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson.

In Belfast, residents described fear during the fires, and Reuters quoted Pastor Jack McKee saying, “We are going after them simply because they are Black,” after attacks on homes in the north of the city.

As the suspect faced court, police and politicians warned that misinformation and online agitation were complicating efforts to maintain order, with Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long saying “bad-faith actors” sought to instrumentalize fear to target people of the same skin color.

“Belfast: Anti-immigrant violence erupts after knife attack”

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Reuters reported that the violence drove families from their homes and targeted people of color, while the BBC said the unrest involved protesters forcing entry and shattering windows of homes.

The unrest also spread beyond Belfast, with Reuters describing it as erupting in other parts of Northern Ireland after the viral video, and with News.au saying Northern Ireland endured a second consecutive night of civil unrest.

In response to the second night, Police blasted water cannons at protesters as clashes continued, with demonstrators tearing bricks from walls and smashing sidewalks with sledgehammers.

Across the coverage, officials emphasized that the attack was not being treated as terrorism-related and that police were not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation, while the violence left neighborhoods damaged and families displaced.