Protests have erupted across the UK in recent weeks in response to the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton and an horrific attack on a man in Belfast. There was violence on the streets of Northern Ireland's capital on Tuesday after the stabbing, with houses, a bus and police car torched. This followed clashes between police and protesters in Southampton last week over the treatment of murder victim Henry, who was handcuffed as he lay dying after being falsely accused of a racist attack.
Official Condemnation
Mainstream politicians, police and community leaders have condemned the violence and called for calm. Scores of people have been arrested. Politicians from both sides of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government condemned the violence in Belfast. First Minister Michelle O'Neill of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was 'thuggery.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that 'taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on X that the scenes in Belfast 'were shocking and completely unacceptable.'
Influencers and Online Calls
Some figures have promoted calls for people to take to the streets, including tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. Online posts from Mr Musk, the boss of social media platform X, and Mr Yaxley-Lennon highlighted demands for people to take to the streets in the wake of Monday's attack. Ahead of last night's violence, Mr Musk shared lists of locations where protests could take place and retweeted a post from Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe saying 'Millions must go' with a screengrab of footage of the knife attack. The billionaire supported a post by GB News presenter Matt Goodwin arguing it was not social media or him inflaming tensions in the UK, but 'the very deliberate policy of mass uncontrolled immigration and open borders.'
What Do You Think?
Should such protests stop? Vote in our poll and join the debate in the comments section.
