On June 10, 2026, a violent anti-immigrant riot broke out in the capital of Northern Ireland. Hundreds of masked people set fire to cars, buses and buildings after a Sudanese man was arrested in connection with a violent knife attack.
The attack occurred on Monday 8 June in northern Belfast. 30 years Hadi Alodid He stabbed a 40-year-old man with wounds to his face, eyes, neck and back. Victim lost one eye. The attacker was quickly overpowered by passersby and then arrested.
There was a major riot in several neighborhoods on Tuesday night. Protesters set fire to a bus, several passenger cars and a building in the city centre. Molotov cocktails were also thrown. The riots also included nearby towns, including Antrim.
Government reactions
First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill She strongly condemned the riot:
"Groups of masked men burning families out of homes are disgusting cowardice. Racism, intimidation and violence are evil, regardless of circumstances."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called attack "horrific and disgusting" and called for peace. The Northern Ireland Police Chief described the situation as a "critical incident".
Family victims issued a statement in which she stressed that I don't want to.to attack was used to fuel hatred and divisions.
Background
Hadi Alodid stayed in the UK on a five-year visa granted in September 2023. He came from Sudan by Paris and Dublin, where he applied for asylum in Belfast. He hasn't been listed by the service before.
The riots in Belfast are part of a wider wave of anti-immigrant tensions in Britain, intensified after a series of violent knife attacks in recent months.
The case remains developmental.
