Demonstrations and disorder broke out in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 9 June 2026, as hundreds of masked protesters took to the streets following the arrest of a 30-year-old Sudanese man in connection with a knife attack.
Houses, cars, and a bus were torched across the city, with reports suggesting that some fires may have deliberately targeted non-white residents. Public transport services were suspended amid the unrest.
The violence followed a knife attack in north Belfast on Monday, 8 June 2026, in which a man identified as Stephen Ogilvie, in his 40s, sustained serious injuries to his eyes, neck, and back. The incident, which was filmed and widely circulated on social media, showed a man pinning another individual to the ground and repeatedly stabbing him before being confronted by passers-by. Police later recovered what is believed to be a kitchen knife at the scene and have ruled out terrorism as a motive.
The suspect, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with a blade in a public place, and threats to kill. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. Authorities said he entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year. According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), he travelled from Sudan to Paris, then to Dublin, before arriving in Belfast in February 2023.
By the afternoon of 9 June, several businesses in central Belfast, including those on Sandy Row, had closed and secured their premises as tensions escalated ahead of planned evening protests.
The incident has intensified political debate in the UK around migration and community relations, with footage of the attack widely shared online and amplified by public figures such as Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk. The Sudanese Community Association Northern Ireland, which recently reformed its leadership after a four-year hiatus, said it is preparing to support community members amid rising tensions.
The invader who tried to behead someone in Belfast last night travelled from Sudan to Paris, flew from Paris to Dublin, then got a bus from Dublin to Belfast on 10th February 2023 and claimed "asylum".
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 9, 2026
The British government let him stay, and now this.
Blood on their hands. https://t.co/vlrmXJuSIz
We must stop harbouring those who wish to decapitate children.
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) June 9, 2026
A vast number of people need to be removed from our country – when I say vast, I mean it.
Millions and millions need to leave or be made to leave.
The truth is that there are VASTLY more hate crimes, especially aggravated rape and murder, per person by Blacks against Whites than the other way around.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2026
The is not remotely debatable, as the numbers are so extremely lopsided! https://t.co/li1ipYrHWu
The whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7pm following yet another invader attack on our people.
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 9, 2026
It's time 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/tscckc9ceK
