Anti-Immigrant Riots Erupt in Belfast After Knife Attack

Riots broke out across east Belfast on the night of 9 June 2026 after a knife attack the previous evening in which a Sudanese national, 30-year-old Hadi Alodid — who arrived in the UK in 2023 and held refugee status with leave to remain until 2028 — allegedly blinded victim Stephen Ogilvie in one eye and inflicted deep wounds to his head, face and back. Graphic footage of the attack spread rapidly on social media, and within 24 hours masked crowds numbering in the hundreds burned cars and homes and attacked businesses associated with ethnic minorities, with Romanian, Sudanese and Ukrainian families forced to flee. More than two dozen people were made homeless and 12 police officers were injured. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill condemned the violence as 'disgusting cowardice', while Justice Minister Naomi Long blamed 'far-right online agitators' for stoking the unrest. The suspect was charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon and making threats to kill, and remanded in custody. It was Northern Ireland's second consecutive year of summer rioting after similar disorder in 2025.