Published On 10/6/2026
Violence broke out on Tuesday evening in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, as anti-immigration demonstrators burned vehicles and buildings, following the arrest of a Sudanese man on suspicion of involvement in a knife attack that left one person seriously injured.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in several areas of the city and set fire to a bus and a number of cars, as tensions escalated.
Police helicopters flew over the west and north of the city, while stores closed earlier than usual.
Security forces increased their deployment in the streets as calls from far-right leaders to demonstrate increased, and the owner of the X platform, Elon Musk, also urged this.
Calls for calm
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, strongly criticized these protests, calling for calm.
The leaders of the five main political parties in Northern Ireland issued a joint statement condemning the incident, stressing that “there is no place in our society for such brutality.”
The suspect in the stabbing attack, which occurred north of Belfast late Monday evening, was charged with attempted murder, possession of a knife in a public place, and making death threats.
The 30-year-old man, whose identity has not been revealed, is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
The police reported that the victim, a man in his forties, suffered serious injuries to his eyes, in addition to severe wounds to the face and back, as a result of the attack with a kitchen knife found at the scene of the accident.
Ryan Henderson, Assistant Chief Constable of Police in Northern Ireland, said that the attempted murder sparked mixed feelings among residents, ranging from fear to anger, describing the unrest as a serious incident.
Video footage showed a number of citizens trying to confront the attacker before the police arrived, with officials praising their role in saving the victim’s life.
For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “horrific and hideous,” stressing his complete rejection of the scenes of violence in the streets, while his office stressed the need to give the police time and space to conduct investigations.
Rising tension
This incident comes at a time when the United Kingdom is witnessing increasing tension, following the killing of a student in Southampton in circumstances that sparked widespread controversy.
Although the victim and perpetrator in this incident held British citizenship, protesters gathered outside a hotel that was housing asylum seekers, raising anti-immigration banners.
In Belfast, the attack raised questions about the suspect’s immigration status, especially from some politicians.
The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Gavin Robinson, called for a reduction in “uncontrolled immigration”, while other politicians demanded that more details about the attacker be revealed.
In turn, the Chief of Police in Northern Ireland, John Butcher, said that the suspect was residing in the United Kingdom under a five-year visa granted to him in September 2023, noting that he is believed to have traveled from Sudan to Paris and then Dublin before seeking asylum in Belfast.
He confirmed that the suspect was not registered in national security databases, and was not known to the police.
