A Sudanese man appeared in a Northern Ireland court on Wednesday to face charges of attempted murder, possessing a bladed weapon in public and threatening to kill.
The man, who came to the United Kingdom in 2023 as a refugee, is accused of stabbing a man in the neck and head in Belfast earlier this week.
The 30-year-old man, who appeared in court via video link, was ordered to be kept in jail. He did not enter any plea and refused legal representation.
A video of the knife attack went viral on social media on Monday, sparking outrage in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom.
Far-right figures have called for anti-immigrant protests after the stabbing, which sparked violent unrest in Belfast on Tuesday night.
What happened during the riots in Belfast last night?
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said a wave of violence spread across the city on Tuesday night, with masked men setting fire to homes and forcing families out of their homes.
“A group of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing short of disgusting cowardice,” O’Neill said in a statement.
The BBC reported that men were heard shouting “Get the foreigners out” during the riot.
On Wednesday, Northern Ireland police chief John Boucher called the riots “a massive act of self-harm by mindless idiots.” He said he is considering deploying 200 additional officers to the streets after this.
British Prime Minister keir starmer It also condemned the violence, calling it “shocking and unacceptable”.
“There is no justification for the violence and disorder we have seen threatening our communities, nor for those who have encouraged it online or elsewhere,” Starmer said in a statement posted on Twitter.
He said: “It’s clear that people were targeted last night because of their backgrounds and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will be brought to justice the full force of the law.”
Police on Tuesday urged the public not to resort to violence following calls from far-right groups for anti-immigration protests.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk retweeted a post by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, calling for nationwide anti-immigration demonstrations.
“Only by repeatedly and loudly protesting will any change happen!!” Musk added.
On Wednesday afternoon, Britain’s media regulator Ofcom warned online platforms about the risk of inciting violence in relation to the Belfast case.
“Ofcom has today written to online service providers operating in the UK about the increased risk of their platforms being used to incite hatred, incite violence and commit other crimes under UK law in the context of the recent civil unrest in Belfast,” the official watchdog said.
Victim’s family condemns anti-immigrant violence in Belfast
The family of a victim who lost an eye in a knife attack on Wednesday appealed for peace following the riots last night.
In a statement, the family rejected the unrest and said, “Peaceful protest is the only way forward.”
The victim’s family said, “We have many immigrants who make extremely valuable contributions to our country… We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or promote hostility.”
What caused the wave of violence in Belfast?
Anger is spreading across Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom after a video of Monday’s attack went viral.
A 40-year-old man suffered serious injuries on his neck and head.
Northern Ireland police chief John Boucher said the suspect came to Britain in 2023 and has a residence permit valid until 2028, adding that police were “not aware” of the suspect.
In a joint statement, the leaders of Northern Ireland’s five largest political parties described the knife attack, saying, “There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality.”
The stabbing, which Starmer described as “horrific” and “tragic”, followed violent street protests in Southampton, southern England, where people demonstrated over how police handled the murder of a young, white student.
The student was stabbed by a British Sikh man who falsely alleged that he had been racially abused.
Immigration has become a controversial topic in Britain, helping far-right parties like Nigel Farage’s Reform UK make gains in the polls.
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Edited by: Natalie Muller