Protests against immigration flared in Northern Ireland, with demonstrators in Belfast setting buildings and cars on fire and targeting properties believed to be linked to migrants, including setting some houses ablaze in response to a brutal stabbing attack that was widely circulated in a graphic video.
The unrest came amid visuals showing anti-immigration groups marching in the streets after far-right activists called for demonstrations.
As the violence escalated, masked youths gathered at several points across the city, setting a Glider bus on fire on Newtownards Road in East Belfast, while also torching cars near Shankill Road and in Newtownabbey. Visuals further showed protesters setting fire to homes of immigrants, forcing residents to flee.
A group of around 100 men, including a large number of teenagers, was reported to have kicked in doors and smashed windows of homes on a street in East Belfast, the BBC reported.
Eyewitness accounts also described scenes of chaos on residential streets. “Cars were set alight on the road, which caught fire to my house, but masked men were bashing down doors,” a resident of Lendrick Street in East Belfast told BBC News.
“By 7:30 pm (18:30 GMT) they started (a) fire in the bins…we heard police cars and sirens,” a resident told AFP.
“More and more people started coming, they started throwing petrol bombs. Suddenly the fire started going…we had smoke inside the building…fire people came in and they said ‘go down’.”
Far-right activists call for protest
Anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who also refers to himself as Tommy Robinson, posted the video online calling the attacker an “invader” and amplified calls for protest. Tech giant Elon Musk also condemned the attack and shared a list of locations in the city where the protests were slated to take place.
“Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!” he said in a post on X.
What triggered the protests
The protests come after police charged a 30-year-old Sudanese man with attempted murder in connection with an attack in North Belfast on Monday night that left a man critically injured and prompted widespread shock and condemnation.
A video of the incident that went viral appeared to show the assailant stabbing at his victim’s head before being beaten away by passers-by, one of them using a hurling stick.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said on Tuesday that the victim sustained serious injuries to his eyes, along with slash wounds to his face and back. He added that police have no indication at this stage that the incident is terrorism-related, according to Reuters.
Suspect due in court on Wednesday
The suspect, who was charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place, and making threats to kill, is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, in a press conference, said he believes the accused was living locally after being granted leave to remain in the UK on 28 September 2023 following an asylum claim.
“I’m informed that he made his way from Sudan to Paris at dates unknown, and from Paris he flew to Dublin at a date yet to be determined,” the Guardian reported.
He had travelled to Belfast in February that year by bus from Dublin, after flying there from Paris on an unspecified date.
“There is no trace of this suspect on any of our national security databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I’ve been in direct contact with the head of terrorism policing in the UK. At this stage, we have no information to suggest that this was terrorist-related,” Boutcher said.
Starmer condemns attack, leaders call for ‘calm’
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, calling it “sickening.” He added that he has absolutely “no tolerance” for “abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.”
“My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened,” he said in a post on X.
Amid the uprising, UK authorities pleaded for calm, requesting protesters to let the police do their job.
“All of us have a responsibility now to urge calm and let the police do their job,” Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn told the House of Commons on Tuesday, as reported by Bloomberg.
Henderson also urged people to act responsibly, saying, “Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire. We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk,” the Guardian reported.
He further called for “all voices of influence” within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and to discourage violence or disorder.
“I would appeal once again to communities not to allow themselves to be used and abused in this manner. Disorder on the streets, such as we are seeing tonight, is diverting valuable police resources away from those who genuinely need them. These are not the actions of people who genuinely care about their communities,” Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said, as reported by the Guardian.
“While I recognize and understand the concerns following on from the attack in North Belfast, hate cannot be allowed to win.”
Who is the victim?
The Sun has identified the victim of the attack as Stephen Ogilvie, citing a neighbour. However, as of now, authorities have not confirmed the identity of the victim.
Hindustan Times could not independently confirm the identity of the victim.
The neighbour who spoke to The Sun said that Stephen Ogilvie lived on the first floor of a nearby apartment. Meanwhile, the suspect had moved to the area days before the incident.