Violent Anti-Immigration Protests Erupt in Belfast After Stabbing Incident
On Tuesday evening, parts of Belfast witnessed violent anti-immigration protests. Masked demonstrators set fire to a bus, cars, trash cans, and homes. The protests followed a brutal stabbing in Northern Ireland’s capital the night before.
A graphic video showing a man being slashed in the head and neck spread rapidly online. The Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested a Sudanese man in his 30s. He faced charges of attempted murder, possession of a knife in a public place, and making threats to kill. The man sought asylum in Northern Ireland, and in 2023, he secured a five-year U.K. visa. His court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday.
The attack victim suffered severe injuries to his eyes, face, and back. Despite pleas for calm from police and politicians across various parties, masked protesters gathered Tuesday evening, causing unrest. A local lawmaker described it as “a race-based pogrom.” On Lendrick Street in Belfast, vehicles were set on fire by protesters reacting to the stabbing incident.
Claire Hanna, a Belfast MP from the Social Democratic & Labour Party, told BBC’s “Newsnight” that while people were shocked by the stabbing, the protestors’ actions were condemnable. She criticized those fostering unrest online. Hanna singled out tech magnate Elon Musk, former U.S. President Trump’s ally Nigel Farage, and far-right figure Tommy Robinson for spreading the stabbing video and inciting protests. Many social media accounts urged demonstrations against mass immigration.
Belfast’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, condemned the situations, calling them “outright thuggery.” “Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” O’Neill stated on social media.
Video from BBC News showed residents fleeing homes in northern Belfast after fires erupted. Between 7 pm and midnight, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue responded to 62 incidents. Videos highlighted first responders helping evacuate residents from areas with significant immigrant populations.
Northern Ireland lawmaker John Finucane labeled the scenes “shameful & disgraceful” in a social media post. While expressing horror at the stabbing, he stated that no one had the right to instill fear or cause chaos.
The confirmed video of the stabbing shows a man assaulted and stabbed repeatedly around the head and neck. It’s widely termed online as an attempted beheading. Police noted no terror-related link, but investigations continued to uncover the motive.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “horrific” and “sickening.” “I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets,” he stated on X. “My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.”
Among the fires set by protesters was a Glider bus in east Belfast. Protesters were hostile to journalists, but two men, Chris and John, spoke to CBS News. Despite feeling compelled to support the victim by attending the protest, they rejected the ensuing violence. Chris and John hail from opposing sides of Northern Ireland’s communities – nationalists and unionists – with a long history of conflict. They went to pray together after the stabbing.
Chris mentioned the attack didn’t entirely surprise locals, citing a similar incident in Southampton that led to anti-immigration protests. Far-right activists used that event to accuse authorities of “two-tier” policing, alleging that immigrants received preferential treatment. Authorities firmly denied this.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized the response to the Nowak murder case in England, suggesting bias against native citizens. Nowak was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, a British-born Sikh, who claimed a racist attack, later disproven in court. The police initially mishandled the situation, suspecting Nowak while he was wounded. Digwa, sentenced last week to life with a 21-year minimum term, was found guilty of Nowak’s murder.