Protesters set fires and block roads in Belfast after stabbing
Anti-immigration demonstrators torched vehicles and a building in Belfast on June 9, 2026, one day after a knife attack. Police increased patrols while political leaders called for calm.
Le MondeAnti-immigration protesters set vehicles and a building on fire and blocked roads in Belfast on the evening of June 9, 2026, one day after a stabbing captured on video. Hundreds of masked demonstrators gathered at multiple sites across the city, according to Agence France-Presse.
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A bus and several cars were set alight, and a building near the city center caught fire, forcing residents to evacuate. Police helicopters flew overhead while some shops closed early.
Attack and suspect details The stabbing occurred the previous day.
A 30-year-old man described as a Sudanese refugee was charged late on June 9 with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon in a public place, and making threats to kill. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 10. The man entered the country in 2023 via Paris and Dublin and received refugee status that year, with a residence permit valid until 2028, the interior ministry confirmed.
Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher said the suspect arrived in the UK in 2023.
Ireland's five main political parties issued a joint statement condemning the stabbing and urging calm. They said there is no place in society for such brutality and called for space to allow justice to proceed. Michelle O'Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, posted on X that masked groups burning families out of their homes amounted to disgusting cowardice.
She said racism, intimidation, and violence are wrong wherever they occur and appealed for calm. " — Michelle O'Neill, June 9, 2026 (Le Monde) Northern Irish MP Gavin Robinson told parliament the incident will have profound implications for community cohesion and urged the government to recognize that uncontrolled immigration needs to end.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as horrific and sickening on X. Police urged the public not to share the graphic video, warning that its nature would retraumatize those involved.
Earlier tensions Tensions were already high after violent skirmishes last week in Southampton over police handling of a separate stabbing. " US tech billionaire Elon Musk had retweeted a post by anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, adding that only repeated and loud protesting will bring change.
