The family of a man who lost an eye in a knife attack in Belfast has appealed for calm after the incident sparked a night of anti-immigrant violence across parts of Northern Ireland.
Masked men set fire to homes and vehicles, and police said the unrest targeted ethnic minorities following the circulation of a video of the attack online.
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A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a blade & threats to kill over the horrific knife attack in north Belfast.
— Public News X (@PublicNewsX) June 9, 2026
Graphic video showed him allegedly stabbing a local man (40s) in the head, neck, face & back.
Victim in serious… pic.twitter.com/axnMfIUPav
Cooler heads, if you please
Reuters reported that the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, suffered significant injuries in the attack. His family said “overnight unrest is not welcome” and that “peaceful protest is the only way forward.”
In the same statement, the family said, “We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country,” adding that they did not want the tragedy to be used “to divide people or fuel hostility".
Westminster weighs in as tensions mount
The suspect, identified as a 30-year-old Sudanese national named Hadi Alodid, appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody.
Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher confirmed the suspect had arrived in the United Kingdom in 2023 via Paris and Dublin. The attack was not being treated as terrorism.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament that while the attack raised serious questions, “driving people out of their homes is not... the right way to respond" and that those involved in violence would face “the full force of the law".
🇬🇧 Protesters in Belfast have now broken into HMOs housing asylum seekers and set them on fire.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 9, 2026
This after a Sudanese migrant allegedly tried to behead a local man, followed by buses and vehicles already torched.
Native communities have hit a breaking point. When the state… https://t.co/cAfqOF6DnV pic.twitter.com/r57i5tAvZB
Violence spreads across Belfast
Police and local officials said the violence was driven by anger quickly amplified online, with hundreds of protesters, many with their faces covered, attacking police and burning vehicles in several locations.
An extra 200 officers were being deployed, while Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long described attempts to weaponise fear and anger over the attack as the work of “bad faith actors". First Minister Michelle O’Neill called the violence “nothing less than disgusting cowardice".
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A wider debate reignites
The disorder added fresh strain to the UK’s debate over immigration and race, coming amid broader tensions that have intensified in recent months.
Local pastors and politicians reported that many of those targeted were Black, while the Washington Post described rioters moving through heavily immigrant neighbourhoods and forcing some families to flee under police protection.
FAQs
Q1: Why did anti-immigrant violence break out in Belfast?
Ans: The unrest followed a knife attack in Belfast that injured Stephen Ogilvie. Police said anger over the incident was amplified online, leading to attacks on homes, vehicles and ethnic minorities.
Q2: What has the victim's family said about the Belfast violence?
Ans: The family condemned the unrest, said 'peaceful protest is the only way forward', and urged people not to use the attack to fuel hostility toward migrants.
