On Tuesday, anti-immigration demonstrations in Northern Ireland escalated into violence following a shocking knife attack involving a Sudanese migrant. Masked protesters caused chaos by smashing windows, setting houses and a bus on fire.
The unrest peaked on Monday night after a 30-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker, now facing attempted murder charges, was recorded in an alarming video allegedly trying to behead a man in Belfast.
The footage showed the bloodied victim desperately kicking his legs as the attacker stabbed him repeatedly in the head and neck. A woman can be heard shouting for the attacker to stop, while a man screams about having his head cut off.
Concerned bystanders rushed in to help, some resorting to hitting the assailant with sticks.
According to police, the brutal assault left the victim, a local man in his 40s, with serious injuries to his eyes and deep cuts on his face and back.
In the wake of the attack, far-right activists rallied for mass immigration protests on social media platforms.
Protests erupted across Belfast, involving masked individuals who hijacked vehicles, set fire to houses and vandalized shops. Emergency services were deployed to tackle the escalating situation in neighborhoods like Crumlin Street.
Protesters were reported to have shouted, “kick out the foreigners!” as they smashed windows and doors. Images showed a glider bus engulfed in flames after being set on fire.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, condemned the violence, calling it a “complete assault.” She expressed disgust over the destruction of homes and noted that the attackers were not representative of the community. O’Neill added that the attack was “heinous and wrong,” warning against exploiting the incident to target innocent people.
The motive behind the initial attack remains unclear, though police indicated there is “no information to suggest this was a terror-related incident,” according to Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson.
In the House of Commons, Gavin Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, called for the suspect, who had a five-year visa, to be prosecuted and deported immediately.
Elon Musk chimed in on social media, urging loud and persistent protests in response to calls for demonstrations from far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson.
Authorities, including Henderson, appealed for calm after the violent riots, urging people to act responsibly and refrain from risking safety in further actions.
