A fire burns during a protest after a knife attack on June 8 left a man seriously injured and prompted police to declare a critical incident, on Newtownards Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 9, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Protesters on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) torched a bus and other vehicles and blocked arterial roads in Belfast a day after a brutal stabbing by a Sudanese suspect that sparked anti-immigration protests.Northern Irish police and British authorities issued repeated calls for calm earlier on Tuesday (June 9) following the attack captured in a gruesome video that shocked the country.The suspect, whose name has not been released, was charged on late Tuesday (June 9) with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon in a public place and making threats to kill. The 30-year-old man is due to appear in court on Wednesday (June 10).Protests erupt in BelfastThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) vowed to increase its presence on the British province’s streets after footage shared online of Monday night’s incident drew shock, condemnation and demands for immediate demonstrations.From 7:00 p.m. (0600 GMT), hundreds of protesters, many masked, began gathering at various locations in Belfast. Smoke rose from different parts of the city, which was being overflown by police helicopters, according to AFP journalists.The U.K. Interior Ministry confirmed the Sudanese suspect entered the country in 2023 and acquired refugee status the same year, allowing him to remain until 2028.
