Belfast braces for second night of unrest after stabbing suspect remanded, as far-right stokes anti-immigrant riots
Masked rioters torched vehicles and buildings in Belfast on Tuesday night after a Sudanese refugee appeared in court over a knife attack that cost a man his eye. The violence spread to Glasgow, and police are bracing for further unrest.
The trigger
Violence erupted in Belfast on the evening of 9 June, hours after a knife attack in the north of the city the previous night. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese refugee, appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in public, and threats to kill. The victim, a man in his 40s, lost his left eye and sustained serious injuries to his remaining eye, neck, and back. A graphic video of the assault circulated widely on social media, often without warnings, alongside false claims that the victim was a child, had been decapitated, or had died.
The risks were too great.
Judge Keown remanded Alodid in custody for four weeks, adjourning the case to 8 July. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed Alodid travelled from Sudan to Paris, then to Dublin, before taking a bus to Belfast in February 2023, where he immediately applied for asylum. He received permission to remain in the UK in September 2023. The PSNI has ruled out any link to Islamist terrorism.
Tuesday night's disorder
Hundreds of protesters, many masked, gathered at several locations across Belfast. A bus and multiple cars were set alight, a building near the city centre caught fire and its residents were evacuated, and families were forced to flee their homes. Police chief Jon Boutcher said officers had to carry a two-month-old baby and its family to safety. He described the disorder as "a huge act of self-harm by mindless idiots", noting that many participants appeared to be young men. Three people were arrested over the disorder, including a 39-year-old man who has already been charged. The victim remains in hospital with serious injuries.
A huge act of self-harm by mindless idiots.
Spread to Scotland
The violence extended to Glasgow, where three members of the public and two police officers were injured. Police Scotland arrested three men — one aged 31 and two aged 18 — on Wednesday. Scottish Labour MSP Paul Sweeney condemned the "violent racist demonstrations", saying "racist thugs stormed through the centre of Glasgow under the white nationalist slogan, white lives matter." He described those involved as "a savage mob" and linked the events to "a further escalation of organised far-right riots that are becoming all too common in Scotland."
Racist thugs stormed through the centre of Glasgow under the white nationalists slogan, white lives matter.
Political and online reaction
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes "shocking and completely unacceptable" and said those responsible would "feel the full weight of the law." Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long accused the far right of stoking racial tension, calling the incidents "the pure definition of racism." The victim's family appealed for calm in a statement posted on a local politician's Facebook page, saying they did not want the tragedy "to be used to divide people or fuel hostility."
Online, Elon Musk shared images of the attack and messages from anti-immigration accounts, including a post by far-right activist Tommy Robinson listing protest locations. Labour Party chair Anna Turley called Musk's actions "appalling," saying anyone trying to exploit the situation "is very wrong and is causing harm." Reform UK deputy leader in Scotland Thomas Kerr urged people to "go out and make your voice heard" while telling them not to incite racism or violence. TheJournal.ie reported that Robinson and Musk promoted the protests alongside calls to deport millions of immigrants.
Misinformation
RTVE's fact-checking unit VerificaRTVE debunked several viral videos falsely linked to the Belfast riots. One clip, viewed over 280,000 times on X, showed a crowd and police vehicles but was actually filmed at a car exhibition in Dunmurry in May 2026. Another, shared more than 6,800 times, showed a large fire on the outskirts of a city and was falsely captioned as Belfast burning. False claims that the stabbing victim had been decapitated were also widely shared, including by an Irish county councillor.
Preparations for Wednesday
Schools closed and businesses shut early on Wednesday. Police were adding 200 officers to the streets, and local transport authorities cancelled bus and train services for the evening. Calls for further protests circulated online. The PSNI warned that anyone participating in violent acts could face prison sentences.
- Stabbing attack in north Belfast; victim sustains life-changing injuries including loss of left eye.
- Graphic video of the attack spreads widely on social media, alongside false claims the victim was decapitated or had died.
- Anti-immigration protests begin in Belfast; masked rioters torch vehicles, a bus, and a building.
- Violence spreads to Glasgow; three members of the public and two police officers injured.
- Hadi Alodid appears in court charged with attempted murder; remanded in custody until 8 July.
- Police deploy 200 extra officers; schools and businesses close early; bus and train services suspended ahead of expected further protests.
