A 30-year-old Sudanese refugee has been charged with attempted murder and remanded into custody following a knife attack in north Belfast. The attack left a local man seriously injured and without an eye, sparking a wave of anti-immigrant violence across Northern Ireland after a video of the incident went viral.
Masked protesters targeted homes occupied by people of immigrant origin and individuals from the Middle East, burning families out of their houses. Rioters torched vehicles, buses, and businesses while blocking roads. Near the Sandyknowes roundabout near Newtownabbey, police used water cannons to disperse a crowd of approximately 300 people who burned a truck and reportedly planned to target a hotel hosting migrants.
Police faced bricks and bottles during the clashes, which occurred over multiple nights. In response to the unrest, schools, public transport, and businesses in the center of Belfast were shuttered amid fears of further rioting. Far-right activists have been accused of exploiting the situation and amplifying it on social media.
Political leaders in Northern Ireland have condemned the violence and called for calm, with one politician describing the attacks as a race-based pogrom. Additionally, the family of the knife attack victim has called for peace and condemned the violence targeting immigrants.