Masked mobs set fire to homes and vehicles across Belfast on Tuesday night, triggering a severe wave of anti-immigrant violence. The unrest erupted following the viral release of footage showing a brutal knife attack in north Belfast that left one man with serious head and neck injuries.
A building is set alight in the Sandy Row area of Belfast city centre, Northern Ireland, in the evening of Jun 9, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Paul Faith)
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill issued a scathing condemnation of the riots. "There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight," she stated. "Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the initial stabbing as "sickening." Police have charged a 30-year-old Sudanese national with attempted murder and possession of a blade. He is scheduled to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The violence comes amid heightened national tension regarding immigration policy and recent high-profile criminal incidents across the UK. Protesters, many with faces covered, targeted police lines and ignited multiple vehicles, including a bus in east Belfast. Senior officers credited bystanders with saving the victim's life before authorities arrived.