Anti-immigration riots erupt in Belfast after Sudanese asylum seeker charged in stabbing: What's happening? | VIDEO
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Visuals from riots in Belfast Photograph: (AFP)
Riots erupted in Belfast after a brutal stabbing left a man seriously injured. A Sudanese asylum seeker has been charged with attempted murder, while anti-immigration protests turned violent, leading to arson attacks, clashes, and a police-declared critical incident
Anti-immigration riots broke out in Belfast in Northern Ireland on Tuesday (June 10) after a local man was brutally attacked with a knife allegedly by a Sudanese man. Terrifying visuals emerged from the streets of Belfast as locals attacked immigrants, torched vehicles and set homes on fire. A Middle Eastern supermarket was also set on fire.
What we know about the knife attack?
A man in his 40s, identified as Stephen Ogilvie, was stabbed in a violent attack on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast around 10:30 p.m. on Monday (June 8). He suffered significant injuries to his face, neck, back, and eyes and remains in hospital. Soon after, police charged a 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday. The incident took place on Belfast's Shankill Road in broad daylight. A video of the incident was recorded and shared on social media, igniting anger among global far-right figures. In the video, the man is appearing to behead the victim. Among them was British far-right figure James Robinson, who posted the video on X and called on local far-right groups to protest. Elon Musk also amplified the video, reposting it alongside a list of locations in the city where the protests were slated to take place. This prompted protests against immigrants, which turned violent.
What we know about the victim?
According to reports, the victim was Stephen Oglivie, 44-year-old Belfast resident. He lived on the first floor of a nearby apartment. “He’s lived here for around a year and a half and has been a bit of a nuisance, but what’s happened to him is absolutely horrendous and I’d never wish that on anybody,” the 70-year-old neighbour said. Northern Ireland's Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson has declared the situation after the stabbing as a “critical incident.”
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What we know about the riots?
The protestors targeted areas where asylum seekers reside, according to a report by The Guardian. Visuals showed masked protestors breaking the front door and attacking the windows with bricks. Slogans such as “local homes for local people” were graffitied by protestors. Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long condemned the violence but appealed for calm. “While I recognize and understand the concerns following on from the attack in north Belfast, hate cannot be allowed to win. Reports said that immigrants were forced to flee as protesters knocked them out of their homes.
UK PM Keir Starmer reacted to the riots and said that the scenes in Belfast were “shocking and completely unacceptable.” “There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will feel the full force of the law.” He added that he has spoken to the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the frontline emergency services for their bravery in keeping people safe. He appealed for calm.
