Thousands rally against racism in Belfast after anti-immigrant riots sparked by knife attack

What happened

On Monday a knife attack in north Belfast left a man seriously injured. A video of the assault circulated widely, and within hours gangs of mostly masked young men attacked homes belonging to ethnic minorities. Violence shook the city for two consecutive nights until police made arrests. The Police Service of Northern Ireland announced on Saturday that 23 people had been detained, 17 of whom were brought before the courts.

The rally

Thousands answered a call from the group United Against Racism to gather outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday afternoon. Chants and placards carried messages such as “Belfast is against racism,” “Fight racism, build solidarity,” and “Hate is the only threat to our streets.” Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly told the crowd, “You are the Belfast I represent,” and revealed she had herself received death threats in recent days.

“You are the Belfast I represent.”

Local councillor Seamas de Faóite of the nationalist SDLP described himself as “shocked” by both the knife attack and the retaliatory violence.

Voices on the ground

Hilary Hunter, aged 63, attended the rally and spoke to Agence France-Presse. “I’m shocked, truly shocked,” she said, adding that the previous days had “took us back to the dark days of the Troubles” – the ethno-nationalist conflict that scarred Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998 and left thousands dead.

“I’m shocked, truly shocked. These last few days took us back to the dark days of the Troubles.”

Victim and suspect

Stephen Ogilvy lost an eye in the knife attack. His family, who appealed for privacy, said on Wednesday that his condition had stabilised. The accused, 30-year-old Sudanese national Handi Alodient, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder and was remanded in custody. He will remain in prison while proceedings continue.

Wider context

Northern Ireland’s political leaders condemned the riots. The violence echoes past sectarian flashpoints, but community groups and city officials quickly mobilised to isolate the perpetrators and reaffirm Belfast as a welcoming city.