Belfast knife attack leaves man badly wounded, anti-immigration protests follow
A Sudanese asylum seeker has been charged with attempted murder after a brutal knife attack and alleged beheading attempt in north Belfast left a man seriously injured. The incident sparked anti-immigration unrest, prompted appeals for calm from political leaders and reignited debate over the UK's asylum and immigration policies.
A fire burns during a protest after a knife attack on June 8 left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, on Newtownards Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ( Photo- Reuters)
UPDATED: Jun 10, 2026 04:30 IST
Edited By: Zafar Abbas
A brutal knife attack in Belfast, in which the assailant allegedly attempted to behead the victim, sparked widespread anti-immigration protests and violent unrest across Northern Ireland on Tuesday after authorities charged a 30-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker with attempted murder. The attack left a man in his 40s with serious neck, head and facial injuries, triggering public outrage as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, with some setting vehicles on fire and clashing with police.
POLICE DECLARE CRITICAL INCIDENT
The attack took place late Monday in north Belfast, where the victim suffered significant injuries to his eyes and deep slash wounds to his face and back. Police described the assault as "brutal" and recovered a kitchen knife at the scene.
Footage circulating on social media showed members of the public intervening to stop the attacker before police arrived. Senior officers credited bystanders with saving the victim's life.
Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson declared the incident a "critical incident" and appealed for calm.
"I understand that last night's attempted murder will leave people feeling a range of emotions, from fear to anger," Henderson said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as "sickening".
PROTESTS ERUPT ACROSS BELFAST
Hours after the suspect was charged, hundreds of anti-immigrant protesters gathered across Belfast. Masked youths assembled at several locations as police deployed armoured vehicles to contain the disorder.
Several vehicles, including a bus in east Belfast, were set on fire. Local media reported that groups of protesters targeted homes, smashing windows and kicking in doors in some areas. Footage also showed a house engulfed in flames.
A smaller demonstration was also held in London's Parliament Square.
The unrest comes amid heightened tensions over immigration in Britain and follows previous anti-immigration protests in Northern Ireland.
SUDANESE NATIONAL CHARGED
Police charged a 30-year-old Sudanese national with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place and making threats to kill.
The suspect is scheduled to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Authorities said he had been granted leave to remain in the UK in September 2023 after seeking asylum. Investigators said he travelled to Belfast from Dublin in February 2023 after arriving in Ireland from Paris.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect was not known to police and had no record on national security databases.
"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," Boutcher said.
POLITICAL LEADERS URGE CALM
Northern Ireland's main political party leaders jointly condemned the knife attack as "horrific" and called for restraint.
They warned that retaliatory violence and disorder would only deepen divisions and harm local communities as police continue their investigation into the attack, which is not currently being treated as an act of terrorism.
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