Sudanese man charged with attempted murder after Belfast knife attack; far-right calls for protests across UK

The attack

A 30-year-old Sudanese man was arrested and charged with attempted murder following a knife attack on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast on Monday night around 22:30 local time. The victim, a man in his 40s, remains in hospital with serious injuries to his eyes, face, neck and back. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the suspect used a kitchen knife, which was recovered at the scene.

Video footage of the attack, which circulated widely on social media, shows a man straddling the victim on the ground and slashing at his head and neck. Several bystanders intervened, including one wielding a hurling stick, and restrained the attacker until police arrived. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said their actions likely saved the victim's life.

I understand that last night's incident will leave people feeling enraged with emotions, from fear to anger, but please, please let the PSNI do their job, unfettered and undistracted by wider concerns there may be about disorder.

The suspect

Police initially described the suspect as Somali, but later corrected that to Sudanese. He entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border in February 2023, having flown to Dublin from Paris. He claimed asylum upon arrival and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028. The Home Office confirmed he had refugee status and a five-year residency permit. The PSNI said he lived in the area where the attack occurred and was not previously known to police.

Detectives have said there is no indication the attack was terror-related. The suspect faces three charges: attempted murder, possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place, and making threats to kill. He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Political reaction

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attack as "horrific" and "sickening", calling for calm. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn thanked the bystanders who intervened. The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main political parties issued a joint statement saying "there is no place in our society for this kind of brutality".

I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Justice Minister Naomi Long appeared alongside Chief Constable Boutcher at a press conference at Stormont on Tuesday afternoon, appealing for calm.

Protests and disorder

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson and tech billionaire Elon Musk amplified calls for people to take to the streets in response to the incident. On Tuesday evening, anti-immigration protests began across Northern Ireland. In east Belfast, masked males set commercial bins alight and pushed them into a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road. Multiple roads were blocked by groups of masked protesters.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the PSNI would increase its presence on the streets "this evening and in the coming days". He said officers would facilitate peaceful protest but warned against the kind of disorder seen in June 2025, when more than a week of unrest followed the charging of two Romanian teenagers over the rape of a schoolgirl (charges later dropped).

Broader context

The Belfast attack comes days after violent skirmishes in Southampton, southern England, over the police handling of the murder of a young white student stabbed to death by a British Sikh man. The PSNI has classified the Belfast incident as a "critical incident", a procedure reserved for events of particular gravity and impact on public safety.