Residents were forced from their homes in parts of Belfast and beyond after a knife attack in north Belfast late on Monday sparked widespread disorder across Northern Ireland.
A 30-year-old Sudanese man is due to appear in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place and threats to kill following the incident on Kinnaird Avenue at about 22:30 BST. A man in his 40s remains hospitalised with serious injuries to his eyes, neck and back.
Pastor Jack McKee said some members of his church had to be evacuated from their homes [BBC]
Video widely shared online showed a number of people confronting the suspected attacker — one person can be seen carrying a hurling stick — until police arrived. Police later recovered what they believe to be a kitchen knife at the scene.
Spread Of Disorder
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said 'sporadic pockets of disorder' flared in several towns and cities, with crowds gathering in places including Londonderry, Antrim, Newtownabbey, Ballymena, Bangor and Belfast. In east Belfast there were reports of masked people setting cars and bins alight and forcing doors; a resident on Lendrick Street told BBC News NI that fires from burning vehicles reached their home.
Incidents were reported across Belfast [BBC]
About 100 masked people were reported on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast where doors were kicked in and windows smashed. Bins and a bus were set on fire and Translink suspended services after one of its buses was attacked and torched.
Police And Political Response
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson appealed to community leaders to encourage peaceful protest and to discourage violence. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said police presence on the streets would be increased in the coming days.
A bin was set alight and pushed against a bus on the Newtownards Road in Belfast [PA Media]
'Voices of influence within local communities should encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder,' Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said.
Political leaders across Northern Ireland condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O'Neill described groups burning families from their homes as 'outright thuggery', and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly urged people to protest peacefully. Justice Minister Naomi Long warned there was no place for 'masked thugs' in Northern Ireland, while the Northern Ireland Secretary said the destruction was wholly unjustified.
Local Impact
Emergency services responded to fires and attacks across multiple locations. A police Land Rover was attacked on the Crumlin Road, two cars were set alight at the Cloughfern roundabout in Newtownabbey, and a police car was burned in Portadown. Shops, including a Turkish barber in Ballyclare, suffered damage. In one neighbourhood a pastor said long-term church members were being forced out of their homes 'because they're black'.
Many protesters dispersed after rain began, and a significant emergency response remained in affected areas as services assessed damage.
Suspect's Background
The PSNI initially misidentified the suspect's nationality but later confirmed he is Sudanese. Police and the Home Office say he entered the UK in 2023, was granted refugee status that year and is on leave to remain until 2028. Authorities say he claimed to have arrived via the Common Travel Area; the PSNI chief constable said the man travelled from Sudan to Paris, flew to Dublin and then took a bus to Belfast on 10 February 2023, the date on which he claimed asylum. Boutcher added the man was not previously known to police and does not appear on PSNI national security databases.
The PSNI has appealed for calm and warned that violence targeting innocent people and emergency services will not be tolerated. Investigations into the stabbing and the subsequent unrest are ongoing.
