'Masked Men Burning Families Out of Their Homes': Belfast Protests Erupt After Knife Attack ...Middle East

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Vehicles set on fire by protesters burn on Lendrick Street in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 9, 2026. —PA via AP

The suspect in the stabbing, 30–year-old Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, appeared in court Wednesday. He’s been charged with attempted murder over the Monday night attack and has been remanded in custody for four weeks.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill condemned the “harrowing” knife attack, but said there can be “no excuse and no justification” for the disorder that unfolded on the streets Tuesday night.

“This has nothing to do with community,” she emphasized. “This is outright thuggery.”

While a bus was lit on fire in Belfast, a police car in the town of Portadown was set ablaze as sporadic pockets of disorder broke out into other parts of Northern Ireland. 

Scenes from the following morning were quiet by contrast, as many in Belfast and its surrounding areas awoke to burned-out cars and trashed streets.

Claire Hanna, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, told Newsnight: “What you’re seeing is a race-based pogrom. We are seeing men going door to door asking to 'get the foreigners out,' based exclusively on the colour of their skin.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the "completely unacceptable" scenes and said it is "clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it."

“There have been bad faith actors, both in the U.K. and further afield… who were deliberately encouraging people to take to the streets, deliberately weaponizing the pain and anguish of an injured man and a frightened community,” said Long.

Urging people to “step away from their keyboards,” Long referenced the politically-charged history of Northern Ireland and the danger of hostilities being stoked once more.

Long added that she had spoken with a young Sudanese woman who was “visibly shaken and crying because she was so fearful that people would hold an entire community responsible for the actions of an individual.”

That unrest lasted several days, but the Police Service of Northern Ireland has urged an immediate cessation of the current disorder and a return to calm.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward,” said Ogilvie’s relatives.

People stand next to burnt-out cars and homes after demonstrations turned violent the night before, in eastern Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 10, 2026. —Paul Faith—Getty Images

Soon after the knife attack on Monday night, graphic footage of the incident started circulating online.

Many, including Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, praised the intervening members of the public for showing “the very best of humanity.”

Alodid, the suspected attacker and Sudanese national, entered the U.K. in 2023 and was given refugee status that same year.

Far-right figure Tommy Robinson, born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was among those to hone in on the refugee status of the suspect.

“The whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7 p.m. following yet another invader attack on our people,” he said Tuesday afternoon, sharing a schedule of times and meet-up points for protesters.

“Only by protesting repeatedly and loudly will there be any change,” he said.

Lawmakers in Northern Ireland had urged for the footage not to be shared.

While Hanna didn’t name anyone specific, others called out Musk directly.

High tension across the U.K. as divisions stoked

The protests in Belfast come days after violence erupted in Southampton, England, over the death of a student who was handcuffed by police after he had been stabbed.

Police footage of the incident released last week shows officers continuing to put Nowak in handcuffs despite his pleas that he was struggling to breathe and was injured. Digwa, a British Sikh, had told police he was a victim of a racist attack, an allegation that was later proved false.

Starmer acknowledged there are “serious questions to answer, including how accusations of racism informed police thinking,” but emphasized there was “no justification for more violence and disorder.”

In one of several posts discussing the tragedy, Musk claimed “the West has created an utterly evil state religion” in which an accusation of racism “is the gravest offense that can be committed.”

Further debate ensued when the U.S. State Department accused Britain of operating under a “two-tier policing” system—a claim staunchly rejected by Starmer and police chiefs.

“Each time a life like his is lost, the proper response—the only response—is righteous anger,” he said.

Soon after, a spokesperson for Starmer condemned people “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”British Justice Secretary David Lammy later said he had called Vance to tell him he was “wrong.” The pair had an "agreeable" conversation, but Lammy emphasized he didn’t recognize Vance’s "caricature" of Western civilization.

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