Belfast riots after Sudanese refugee charged with attempted murder in knife attack
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Belfast on Tuesday, setting vehicles alight, after police charged a 30-year-old Sudanese man with attempted murder over a knife attack that left a man in his 40s with severe injuries.
The attack
A 30-year-old Sudanese man was charged on Tuesday with attempted murder, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, and threats to kill, following a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday night. The incident occurred around 10:30 pm local time in the Kinnaird Avenue area. The suspect, who was granted refugee status and leave to remain until 2028 after entering the UK from the Republic of Ireland in 2023, was subdued by bystanders before police arrived.
There is no trace of this suspect in any of our national security databases and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The victim, a man aged around 40, remains in hospital with serious injuries to his eyes, face, back, and neck. Police said the attacker used a kitchen knife. The suspect is due to appear in court on Wednesday, at which point his name can be released under Northern Ireland procedures.
The riots
By Tuesday evening, masked groups had gathered at various points across the city. A bus was hijacked and set alight on Newtownards Road in the east of the city. Protesters threw objects at police officers, and a police car was also torched. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said 21 additional fire units had to be deployed from across the region. Some residents were evacuated from homes that caught fire.
I am begging people not to get involved in the protests being called for on social media.
Demonstrations spread beyond Belfast to Antrim, Newtownabbey, and Ballymena. Bus services were suspended in parts of the capital, and there were reports of a blockade on the M2 motorway.
Political reaction
Leaders of Northern Ireland's main political parties held a joint press conference on Tuesday, unanimously condemning the attack as "horrifying" and appealing for calm. First Minister Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin asked the public to give police space and time to conduct a full investigation. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP said the attacker should be convicted as quickly as possible and then deported.
The horrifying attack in Belfast last night is sickening. I have zero tolerance for such terrible scenes of violence on our streets.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack on social media, adding that his thoughts were with the victim. The Home Office confirmed the suspect travelled to the UK from the Republic of Ireland using the Common Travel Area and was granted refugee status.
Investigation status
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said officers believe the bystanders who intervened saved the victim's life. Police stated that at this stage of the investigation, nothing indicates the attack was terrorism-related. The suspect had been living in the area where the attack occurred and had no prior police record. He had arrived in Dublin by air from Paris at an unknown date before travelling by bus to Belfast in February 2026.
- Suspect granted leave to remain in the UK after applying for asylum, having entered from the Republic of Ireland via the Common Travel Area.
- Suspect travels by bus from Dublin to Belfast. He had arrived in Dublin by air from Paris at an unknown earlier date.
- Knife attack occurs in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast. Bystanders subdue the attacker before police arrive.
- PSNI charges the 30-year-old Sudanese man with attempted murder, possession of an offensive weapon, and threats to kill.
- Riots erupt across Belfast. A bus is hijacked and set alight on Newtownards Road. A police car is also torched. Protests spread to Antrim, Newtownabbey, and Ballymena.
- Suspect expected to appear in court, at which point his name can be released under Northern Ireland procedures.
Commentators fear the protests could escalate into the kind of violent disorder seen across the UK in 2024 and 2025. Anti-immigration groups had called for demonstrations across Northern Ireland after the suspect's refugee status became known.
