Violent protests broke out in Belfast on Tuesday night after far-right figures, including Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson, called for demonstrations following a stabbing attack in north Belfast. Crowds, some masked, burned vehicles and properties, hijacked a bus, and blocked roads in areas including the Newtownards Road and Shankill Road.
The unrest came hours after police charged a 30-year-old Sudanese refugee with attempted murder in connection with the Monday night attack, which left a man critically injured. The suspect is due in court on Wednesday. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson appealed for calm, urging people to avoid activity that could place themselves or others at risk.
Politicians condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O'Neill called it "outright thuggery" and warned against attempts to exploit the attack. Sinn Féin MP John Finucane described the scenes as "shameful," while Alliance Justice Minister Naomi Long said demonstrators were intent on wreaking destruction on the communities they claim to protect.
In one incident near the Shankill Road, a group stormed a home occupied by an ethnic minority family, claiming to be "liberating" it. Two phone shops were looted, and an African shop was set on fire. Smaller protests occurred in Antrim, Bangor, and Ballymena, with two cars set alight in Newtownabbey.
In London, about 60 protesters gathered in Parliament Square, shouting anti-immigrant slogans and chanting about the Belfast attack. Most protested peacefully. Community leaders accused the far right of seeking to foment unrest across the UK.
