UK leaders have appealed for calm after the arrest of a Sudanese asylum seeker accused of attempting to murder a man in a brutal knife attack in Belfast triggered anti-immigration protests and unrest.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a knife in a public place and making threats to kill following the attack, which police and prosecutors described as an “attempted beheading”,
Suspect held, victim critical
The victim, a man in his 40s, suffered severe injuries to his neck, eyes, face and back during the assault in north Belfast late on Monday. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Police said a kitchen knife was recovered from the scene. The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, remains in custody.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said investigators were still trying to establish a motive but stressed there was no evidence at present to suggest the attack was terrorism-related.
“This brutal attack will have sent shock waves through the community, causing real concern,” Henderson said, adding that police were not seeking any additional suspects.
The incident quickly became the focus of political debate after reports emerged that the suspect was an asylum seeker.
Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the man had been living in the UK on a five-year visa granted in September 2023. According to police, he is believed to have travelled from Sudan through Paris and Dublin before claiming asylum in Belfast. Authorities said he was not previously known to police in Northern Ireland.
Attack triggers protests
The attack prompted protests in Belfast, with masked demonstrators setting a bus on fire in east Belfast and torching vehicles and rubbish bins in several areas of the city.
Political leaders and police urged residents not to inflame tensions or target specific communities. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he could not confirm in Parliament whether the suspect had entered the UK illegally.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as “sickening” and denounced the violence that followed.
“I have no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets,” Starmer said. His office called for calm and urged the public to allow police to conduct their investigation.
Authorities also appealed to the public not to share graphic footage of the attack circulating online or spread misinformation about the case.
Henry Nowak incident
The unrest came days after a separate controversy in Southampton, England, where protests erupted following the sentencing of a man convicted of murdering university student Henry Nowak.
Nowak was fatally stabbed in December by Vickrum Digwa, who was later found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The case sparked heated debate over policing, race and immigration, and demonstrations over the killing turned violent, leading to multiple arrests.
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