Anti-immigration protests erupted into violence in Northern Ireland after far-right activists called for demonstrations in response to a stabbing attack. The unrest began Tuesday night, hours after prominent agitators including Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson used social media to encourage people to take to the streets.
Crowds of masked men burned vehicles and houses and blocked roads across Belfast and surrounding areas. Protesters hijacked and burned a Glider bus on Newtownards Road in east Belfast and torched cars near Shankill Road and in Newtownabbey. Two phone shops were looted and an African shop was set on fire. In one incident near Shankill Road, a group stormed a home occupied by a family from an ethnic minority background.
The violence followed a stabbing attack Monday night outside a block of flats in north Belfast. Police charged a 30-year-old asylum seeker from Sudan with attempted murder. Video shared on social media showed a man straddling another man on the ground and striking at his head and neck. A kitchen knife was recovered from the scene. The victim, in his 40s, suffered serious injuries to his eyes, face and back. The suspect also faced charges for possession of a blade in a public place and threats to kill.
Police Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect was granted leave to remain in the UK on September 28, 2023. The man traveled from Sudan to Paris and then to Dublin before arriving in Belfast by bus on February 10, 2023, where he claimed asylum. Boutcher noted the suspect had no record on national security databases and was previously unknown to police.
Officials across the UK and Northern Ireland condemned the violence and called for calm. First Minister Michelle O'Neill described the attacks as "disgusting cowardice" and warned against "dangerous attempts to exploit" the stabbing. She urged people not to be persuaded by social media accounts stoking tensions.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson appealed for peace: "We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk." He asked community voices to encourage peaceful protest while discouraging violence.
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane called the scenes "shameful," stating there is no place for such disorder. Alliance Justice Minister Naomi Long said the demonstrators were "intent on wreaking destruction on the very communities they claim they are trying to protect."
Smaller protests also occurred in other UK locations. About 60 people gathered in Parliament Square in London, with some shouting anti-immigrant slogans. Most protested peacefully, though some attempted to provoke police officers.