A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of attacks in Edinburgh on Friday that left five men injured, Police Scotland confirmed. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the violence appeared to be motivated by “anti-Muslim hatred”.
Police Statement and Arrest
Police Scotland said in a statement: “A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday June 19 2026. A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal, and the individual will appear at court in due course.” The force confirmed there is no further threat to the public. Counter-terrorism officers were called in to investigate the string of violent incidents, and the arrested man is described as a white Scottish male.
Details of the Attacks
Officers were dispatched to reports of an incident in the Sighthill area of Edinburgh at approximately 8.50pm on Friday, where two men were left injured. Police subsequently received further reports of incidents targeting retailers across the west and north of the city. The five victims—two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27, and 39—sustained a range of injuries. Three required hospital treatment, though none of the injuries are considered life-threatening. According to the Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) organisation, several of the victims are Muslim.
Political Reactions
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took to X, sharing an image of a bare-chested man wielding a large weapon, and wrote: “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.”
Scottish First Minister John Swinney also denounced the violence on X, stating: “I am deeply concerned by these incidents. There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country. I met community groups last week to assure them of the strong support of the Government.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described herself as “horrified” by the violence, which appeared “to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred”. She said she was “grateful” to the police and emergency services for their “bravery in apprehending the suspect and for their speedy response in attending to the victims”. She added: “There is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims. I know it is not who we are as a country.”
Police and Community Response
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton branded the attacks “shocking”, expressing her thoughts for those injured and most directly affected. She 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.”
The force is collaborating with Counter Terrorism Policing and operating under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. A Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) has been established to enable members of the public to submit information directly to officers.
Scottish Government's Justice Secretary Neil Gray said: “These attacks were awful and my thoughts are with those who were injured and affected by them. As Police Scotland have said, there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland. They have also confirmed that a man has been arrested, there is no threat to the public and their inquiries are ongoing. I encourage anyone with information to contact the police. This was clearly a very serious incident and my thanks go to the emergency services for their bravery and skill in bringing the incident under control.”
