Riots Erupt in Belfast After Knife Attack by Asylum Seeker
Violence broke out in Belfast after a Sudanese asylum seeker was charged with slashing a local man. Police used water cannons and firefighters responded to dozens of incidents.
swissinfo.chRiots broke out in Belfast on June 8 after a Sudanese asylum seeker was charged with attacking a local man with a kitchen knife. The suspect, identified as Hadi Alodid, faces charges of attempted murder, possession of a knife in a public place, and making threats to kill. The victim was slashed across the face and neck and lost sight in one eye.
Rioters threw bricks and bottles at police, set vehicles on fire, and burned homes in neighborhoods with large migrant populations. Police deployed water cannons while the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service handled 62 incidents in one night. At least 27 people were left homeless after the fires.
Similar unrest occurred last year in Northern Ireland after two Romanian teenagers were charged with attempted rape. The year before, riots followed a mass stabbing at a girls' dance class in England. " British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the stabbing and warned against violence based on background.
