On Monday night, in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast, a Sudanese man in his 30s allegedly attacked a local man in his 40s in a brutal knife assault captured on graphic video. The attacker straddled the victim on the street and slashed him repeatedly in the head, neck, face, eyes, and back with a kitchen knife in what many described as an attempted beheading. Bystanders intervened, striking the suspect until police arrived. The victim was hospitalized with serious but stable injuries.
Police charged the Sudanese national—who entered the UK via Dublin in February 2023 and held refugee status—with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article, and threats to kill. He is due in court on June 10. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack “sickening” and “abhorrent.”
On Tuesday evening, June 9, hundreds of protesters, many masked, took to the streets across Belfast in response. Anger over the incident and broader immigration concerns boiled over into disorder. Masked youths set a bus and multiple vehicles ablaze, torched bins, blocked roads, and damaged homes and properties linked to migrant accommodation. Police deployed armoured vehicles, increased patrols, and declared a critical incident while appealing for calm. Helicopters circled overhead as pockets of violence flared.
Political leaders urged restraint amid the unrest, which highlighted deep community tensions. The night underscored raw public frustration following the violent street attack.
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