Brutal stabbing attack in Belfast sparks calls for anti-immigration protests in Northern Ireland

Updated on: June 9, 2026 / 11:46 AM EDT

/ CBS/AFP

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Northern Ireland police said Tuesday they had detained a man over what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded a "sickening" stabbing attack in Belfast. Graphic video of the incident was shared online by figures on the far right of British politics, who have called for mass anti-immigration protests.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) identified the suspect as a Sudanese man in his 30s, after initially saying he was believed to be Somali. The police said a kitchen knife was found at the scene.Video posted online shows a man straddling another man lying in a street and slashing him several times in the head and neck with a knife in what appears to have been an attempted beheading. Several people are seen intervening and tackling the perpetrator as police officers arrive.Calls for demonstrations across Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening quickly gained steam online. Numerous social media accounts urged people to come out and "protest against mass immigration into their communities."

Forensic police investigate the scene of a stabbing attack in North Belfast, June 9, 2026 in Northern Ireland.