Video courtesy of SKI NEWS, AUSTRALIA.
BELFAST, IRELAND (Cleary’s Notebook News)–The demonstrations against immigrants in Belfast was spurred by a brutal attack Monday on a 40-year-old Belfast man. The suspect is a 30-year-old Sudanese man who had claimed asylum in the United Kingdom. He has been charged with attempted murder, threatening to kill, and carrying a knife. The man entered Northern Ireland after applying for asylum. In 2023, he was granted a five-year visa to remain in the U.K. reported CBSNews.
A video of the attack published on X shows the Sudanese man straddling the victim, holding a large knife. Men from the neighborhood can be seen running to the scene with clubs in their hands and then beating the suspect. That film shared on social media sparked two nights of unrest on the streets of Belfast. Groups of masked rioters have been seen setting fire to homes, a bus and trash cans, and throwing rocks at police and blocking roads.
The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who lost an eye in a knife attack that sparked the protests, condemned the violence.
Tuesday night, 200 extra police officers were on the streets after residents were forced to flee homes that were set on fire. Wednesday night, saw masked youths breaking up parts of pavements and walls of private homes to make bricks to throw at police.
Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister described the destruction as “racism, intimidation and thuggery”, according to Amelia Neath, a reporter for the Independent.
Tonight, Thursday, some public transport services in Belfast will be suspended for the third evening in a row, causing passengers in Northern Ireland to face travel disruption, wrote Neath.
Throughout today, traffic returned to normal in Belfast. But, last night, the demonstrators forced Antrim Road in Glengormley to be closed after bricks and bottles were thrown at police. In return, the officers responded with water cannons.
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