Anti-immigration protests erupt in Belfast after knife attack; bus torched, homes damaged
Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters clashed with police and set vehicles alight across Belfast on Tuesday, a day after a Sudanese man allegedly stabbed a local resident.
The trigger
A 30-year-old Sudanese man is due in court on Wednesday, charged with attempted murder, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, and threats to life. The charges relate to a knife attack on Monday evening in north Belfast that left a man in his forties hospitalised with serious injuries to his eyes, neck, and back. Widely circulated social-media video showed members of the public, one holding a wooden bat, restraining the suspect until police arrived.
Violence spreads across the city
By Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators, many masked, had gathered at multiple locations. A bus was set alight, along with several other vehicles and rubbish bins. Rioters smashed doors and windows of homes, and some residents were forced to flee. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to 62 incidents on Tuesday night, the overwhelming majority in the greater Belfast area. Police helicopters hovered overhead as smoke rose from different parts of the city.
- Knife attack in north Belfast; suspect restrained by public
- Hundreds of protesters begin gathering at multiple Belfast locations
- Bus and vehicles set alight; homes damaged; roads blocked
- Fire service reports 62 incidents across greater Belfast
- Suspect due in court on attempted murder charge
Beyond Belfast
Protests also took place in Londonderry, Antrim, Newtownabbey, Ballymena, and Bangor. While some gatherings remained peaceful, others descended into violence. Ulster Unionist Party leader John Burrows said many of those involved were teenagers. About 100 people with covered faces damaged properties.
Official response
Deputy Chief Constable Ryan Henderson urged communities to encourage peaceful protest and to prevent involvement in violence. Police described the disturbances as "sporadic outbreaks of disorder" across several areas. All public transport services in the city were temporarily suspended.
There is no place for masked thugs in Northern Ireland. Hatred cannot prevail.
Justice Minister Naomi Long condemned the violence. Police and British authorities issued repeated calls for restraint.
