A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of suspected anti-Muslim attacks across Edinburgh on Friday night that left five people injured. Counter-terrorism officers were brought in to investigate the incidents, which Police Scotland are treating as potential hate crimes.
Details of the Attacks
Police were called to the Sighthill area of Edinburgh at approximately 8:50pm on Friday, June 19, 2026, where two men were found injured. They were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance. The Scottish Association of Mosques reported that two worshippers were attacked in a park after leaving the Broomhouse mosque.
Further reports emerged of incidents around shops in the west and north of the city. During this period, three other men were allegedly attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk area.
Arrest and Charges
Around 9:30pm, police officers equipped with Tasers confronted a suspect. While the Taser was not discharged, the man was detained. Police Scotland confirmed late on Saturday night: “A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, 19 June, 2026. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, and the individual will appear at court in due course.” Police added that there is no further threat to the public.
Injuries and Social Media Footage
Five men sustained injuries: two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27, and 39. Three required hospital treatment, though none of the injuries were life-threatening. Social media posts appeared to show a shirtless man carrying a long weapon roaming a street and battering a restaurant door. Another video showed the same man on the ground shouting about “protecting the country” while being held by a police officer.
Political and Community Reaction
Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on X: “Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets. The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this – he will face the full force of the law. My thoughts are with those who are injured and I thank the police and the emergency services for their response.”
Omar Afzal, director of public affairs for the Scottish Association of Mosques, told the Scotsman: “There is a profound sense of shock, alarm and anger within Muslim communities across Scotland today. These latest attacks are deeply disturbing. However, they do not exist in a vacuum. For years, Muslim communities have warned about the consequences of anti-Muslim hatred becoming normalised in public discourse. When prejudice is left unchallenged, it creates an environment in which some individuals feel emboldened to act on that hatred.”
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said he was “deeply concerned” by the incidents, adding: “There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country.” The anti-Islamophobia non-profit Muslim Engagement and Development urged police to “treat this as what the evidence indicates: Islamophobic, far-right terror”.
Police Response
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together. Officers responded to multiple reports of a fast-moving sequence of events across Edinburgh before arresting a man and public safety was our priority. Extensive work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances. We are being supported by counter-terrorism policing and working under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.”
Police closed off Leith Walk on Friday evening as the incidents unfolded. A major incident public portal has been set up to encourage members of the public to submit information directly to officers.
