Belfast erupts after Sudanese man's knife attack: homes and vehicles torched, police call for calm

The attack on Kinnaird Avenue

The violence began on Monday evening on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast, a predominantly Roman Catholic area. A 30-year-old Sudanese man attacked a man with a knife, inflicting serious wounds to the victim's face, neck and back. The victim was identified locally as 40-year-old Stephen Ogilvie, who remains in serious condition in hospital. According to reports, the victim lived in the same social housing complex as the attacker.

Before police arrived, the assailant was subdued by passers-by. Among them was Matt McKiernan, a removals company director, who used his son's hurling stick to strike the knifeman several times. McKiernan told the Daily Mail: "We saw two men fighting in the street, one on top of the other. We thought it best to go and separate them. My friend Andre was in the front passenger seat and got out first. But as he approached, he saw the knife. He shouted to me to find something to help."

We saw two men fighting in the street, one on top of the other. We thought it best to go and separate them.

The attacker was arrested on charges of attempted murder, possession of a sharp object in a public place and threats to life. Police confirmed there are no indications the attack is terrorism-related. Under Northern Ireland law and practice, authorities do not release the names of accused persons before their first court appearance. The suspect is expected before a Belfast court on Wednesday.

The suspect's background

As questions mounted about the suspect's immigration status, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed the man had arrived in Ireland in 2021 and had applied for asylum. Police initially stated the attacker was "possibly Somali" before clarifying he is Sudanese. The suspect is around 30 years old.

Tuesday night's riots

By 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators — many of them masked — had gathered at various points across Belfast. Columns of smoke rose over the city as police helicopters circled overhead, according to AFP journalists on the ground. Protesters set fire to rubbish bins, threw objects at police vehicles, and torched cars and a bus, which was completely destroyed by the flames. Residential properties and vehicles belonging to immigrants were also targeted, with reports describing a terrifying pogrom against migrants.

The smell of burnt wood and plastic hung heavy in the air on Wednesday morning. Personal belongings of those whose homes were reduced to ash lay scattered everywhere, and some residents did not know whether it would be safe to return to their homes.

The rescuer

Matt McKiernan, a 32-year-old father of one and local resident, happened to be at the scene when the Sudanese man attacked. After hearing screams and calls for help, he grabbed a wooden hurling stick and rushed at the attacker before police could arrive. Together with two other people, he stopped the assailant, defying the danger. In a social media post after the attack, McKiernan wrote that he simply wanted to protect the victim. His wife said she was proud that her husband had saved the man from certain death.

My friend Andre was in the front passenger seat and got out first. But as he approached, he saw the knife. He shouted to me to find something to help.

Official response

The local police command and British authorities issued repeated calls for calm and restraint in the wake of the attack, video of which shocked the public. Police publicly praised the citizens who intervened, stressing that their reaction proved decisive in saving the injured man. A kitchen knife was recovered and seized at the scene. The victim, aged between 40 and 50, is being treated for injuries to his eyes, face and back. Witnesses reported hearing the man screaming in pain before being taken by ambulance to hospital, his head wrapped in bandages.