The unrest erupted after a Sudanese asylum seeker allegedly attempted to behead a man in the street
Anti-immigration riots broke out in Belfast on Tuesday night after a knife-wielding Sudanese asylum seeker allegedly attacked a man in the capital of Northern Ireland.
The incident occurred amid a heated debate over migration policies, fueled by a string of crimes involving foreign nationals across the UK.
Buses and cars were set ablaze as police urged the public to remain calm.
Videos from the scene showed vehicles engulfed in flames.
Other footage shows a burning car rolling down the street.
Angry mobs set several homes on fire and vandalized bus stops with anti-Islam graffiti.
According to reports, crowds roamed the streets in parts of the city, attempting to break into homes of suspected migrants.
Groups of men are going ‘door to door’ “hunting migrants” setting fire to known HMO’s in Belfast… pic.twitter.com/jxr0Rczctm
— Pippa B 🇬🇧🏴 🚜 ❤️ 🇺🇸 (@pippaisright) June 9, 2026
The unrest followed a viral video from Monday showing a knife-wielding assailant pinning another man to the ground in the middle of a street. Several bystanders intervened, saving the victim, who suffered multiple stab wounds.
According to police, the suspect flew from Paris to Dublin before traveling by bus to Belfast in 2023, where he claimed asylum.
The UK has seen major anti-immigration protests and riots in recent years, with right-wing politicians and activists accusing authorities of failing to control illegal migration and adequately address crimes committed by migrants and other ethnic minorities.
In 2024, large-scale riots broke out in Southport, northwest England, after a man of Rwandan origin fatally stabbed three girls at a dance studio. The incident resulted in a rash of arrests for social media posts which allegedly stirred up racial hatred.
Earlier this month, demonstrations were held in memory of Henry Nowak, a university student killed by a British Sikh man in 2025. Public outrage intensified after police body-camera footage was released showing officers at the scene handcuffing the mortally wounded Nowak rather than his attacker, Vickrum Digwa.
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 21 years for the murder.
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