Anti-Immigration Protests Erupt After Belfast Stabbing Attacker Identified as Sudanese Asylum Seeker

A suspect identified by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as a Sudanese national was arrested Tuesday over the gruesome Belfast stabbing, footage of which circulated online by the radical right in British politics, later mobilising supporters for large anti-immigration rallies.

In a CBS News report, the suspect was initially presumed to be Somali. The video circulating online reveals a man repeatedly stabbing another in the head and neck while lying in the street. The assault appeared consistent with an attempted decapitation. The video also shows the crowd nearby intercepting before authorities arrived at the scene.

According to authorities, the 30-year-old Sudanese man is facing attempted murder. The 40-year-old victim is being treated in hospital for serious injuries sustained.

Sudanese Suspect Granted Refugee Status in 2023

During a press conference on Tuesday, 9 June, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson stated police were no longer searching for other parties involved in the crime. The suspect's identity remains undisclosed, while authorities reportedly initially presumed he was a Somalian national.

The Home Office has identified the suspect in custody as a Sudanese national who is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom until 2028. A spokesperson noted, 'The individual claims to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area.'

Authorities said he had arrived in Paris from Sudan a couple of years back and travelled to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland before reaching Belfast in Northern Ireland. In 2023, he entered the United Kingdom where he then obtained refugee status.

Authorities are reportedly operating under the understanding that the Sudanese suspect had gone to Paris from Sudan and then travelled to Dublin, as well as working out the dates, according to Chief constable Jon Boutcher, per The Independent.

'From my current understanding, he then travelled from Dublin to Belfast by bus on February 10 of 2023 and claimed asylum on that date,' the Chief constable said. He further added that the suspect's name does not appear in the security database. 'There is no trace of this suspect on any of our national security databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.'

Calls for Demonstration Erupt

Calls for demonstration across Northern Ireland rapidly gained momentum with several social media accounts encouraging residents to join 'protest against mass immigration into their communities.'

By Tuesday night, masked demonstrators assembled at multiple sites in Belfast. During the unrest, a bus and several other vehicles were set ablaze and roads were blocked. Earlier, the Northern Irish police and British authorities have repeatedly urged the public to remain peaceful.

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer referred to the Belfast stabbing as 'horrific' and 'sickening.' In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he denounced violence, saying, 'I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets. My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.'

According to the Northern Ireland police, the suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder. The victim was reportedly taken to local hospital for suffering serious wounds and was declared in serious condition.

The incident was referred to by Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson as a 'deeply concerning assault,' calling it a 'critical incident.' 'We have commenced an investigation to establish a motive,' Henderson said, stating that the 'brutal attack will have sent shockwaves through the community, causing real concern.'

"At this stage, we have no information to suggest that this was a terrorist-related incident," Hennderson said. He stressed that the investigation was just beginning, however.'