Anti-immigration protests broke out in Belfast after police charged a Sudanese asylum seeker with attempted murder over a street stabbing that left a man with serious injuries, prompting calls for calm from political leaders in both Belfast and London. The victim, a man in his 40s, was attacked late on Monday in north Belfast and taken to hospital with serious wounds to his eyes, face and back.
Police identified the suspect as a Sudanese man in his 30s and charged him with attempted murder. News that the accused is an asylum seeker spread rapidly online, where leading far-right figures in Britain — including the anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson — circulated graphic video of the attack and called for mass protests.
Crowds gathered in parts of the city as demonstrations flared, reviving memories of the anti-immigrant rioting that swept Northern Ireland and parts of England in recent summers. Police mounted an increased presence around asylum accommodation in the city, which has been targeted during previous unrest.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as "sickening," while his office appealed for restraint, saying it was important that police have the time and space to investigate. Northern Ireland's power-sharing leaders echoed the call, warning against attempts to turn a criminal case into a pretext for street violence.
The episode lands on politically combustible ground. Asylum accommodation has become one of the most contested issues in Northern Ireland's politics, and community tensions have been inflamed repeatedly by viral footage and online rumour that outpaces confirmed fact — a dynamic visible again on Tuesday as protest calls spread before police had released basic details of the case.
The accused is expected to appear in court in Belfast this week. Police have appealed for witnesses and urged residents not to share the video of the attack, warning that its circulation risks both prejudicing the case and stoking further disorder.