Thousands of people gathered for an anti-racism rally in Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, on Saturday.
An estimated 3,000 people demonstrated in parts of the city to condemn the violence seen earlier in the week.
Riots broke out on Tuesday and Wednesday after a video of a knife attack went viral. The 30-year-old Sudanese man suspected in the stabbing has been charged with attempted murder.
Protesters condemn right-wing, racist violence
Protesters gathered outside Belfast City Hall carrying placards condemning the violence, in which groups of masked men set fire to houses, torched vehicles and attacked police with bottles, bricks and Molotov cocktails.
Some in the crowd carried signs with slogans such as “Hate is the only threat to our streets” and “Belfast stands against racism”.
“All it takes is one person to commit a crime who is not white and local and the fires of racism are reignited,” Elaine Crory, a lobbyist for the Women’s Resources and Development Agency, told the crowd.
The Mayor of Belfast, Royce-Maier Donnelly, told protesters that a small minority could not be allowed to “spread fear and hatred”.
Donnelly also said he had received death threats this week.
Immigration has become a flashpoint topic in both the UK and has helped accelerate the rise of the far-right Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.
While the atmosphere may have been peaceful in Belfast, in Glasgow, Scotland, an anti-racism march was greeted by a small contingent of men, with reports that some gave Nazi-style salutes.
The anti-racism group responded by shouting, “Nazis get off our streets.”
Glasgow Police said the anti-racism protest passed “without any major incident” and said that “a significant operation was carried out to ensure the safety of the public.”
What sparked the violence in Belfast and elsewhere in Britain?
A video of the knife attack, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “tragic”, has gone viral, sparking a wave of anger across Northern Ireland and Britain.
The video shows a man repeatedly striking the neck and head of another man who was lying on the ground.
The victim of the attack, a 44-year-old man, was seriously injured and is hospitalized.
The suspect, who hails from Sudan, was produced in court on Wednesday and charged with attempted murder.
The Northern Ireland incident follows violent protests in Southampton, England, where anger erupted over how police handled an incident involving a young, white student who was murdered by a British Sikh man.
Bodycam footage showed police officers handcuffing the seriously injured student as his attacker alleged he was racially abused.
The judge presiding over the murder trial rejected allegations of racism made by the attacker and imposed a life sentence for murder.
Edited by: Carl Sexton
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you trust our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google By Click here and press the “Star” or “Favorite” button, That’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.