VIOLENT demonstrations took place in areas across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Northern Ireland last night following Monday night’s stabbing attack in Belfast.
Protesters set fire to houses, buses and cars in Belfast as disorder flared at an anti-immigration demonstration, with hundreds gathering in Glasgow and Ayr, as well as a smaller number in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
At around 10pm, residents were removed from houses which caught fire in Lendrick Street in east Belfast as Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service officers attended the scene, while Sky News reported rioters checking the nationalities of people in passing cars.
In Glasgow, protesters called for an "end to mass immigration" while holding signs and banners with slogans including "Scotland for the Scottish".
On Edinburgh's Princes Street, men could be seen in footage online with Saltires and Union Flags, as well as flares, and could be heard shouting: "Keir Starmer's a w*nker".
Encouraging people to attend protests, an image had been shared online earlier in the day listing 70 UK locations with the tagline: "Stand Together. Be Heard. Create Change."
One message said to have circulated overnight urged men of the age of 18 and over to “wear dark clothing and be prepared to fight or be arrested”.
Earlier, a man arrested on suspicion of the Belfast knife attack was charged with attempted murder.
The 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill.
He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
In Northern Ireland, the authorities do not release the name of accused persons before they appear in court.
The victim of the attack, a man aged in his 40s, remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday receiving treatment for serious eye, face and back wounds.
There has been widespread condemnation of Monday night’s knife assault.
The Glasgow branch of Stand up to Racism said: "Masked-up racist thugs have assembled at Buchanan steps and marched down the street. The livestream by one of their supporters shows marchers stealing a bike from a delivery driver and beating up passers-by.
"Glaswegians of all backgrounds and and of all faiths and none will stand together against any attempts to spread violence and hatred in our communities.
"Time and again we have shown the far right a majority of us reject their poison."
Police commanders and political leaders had appealed for calm amid concern the planned anti-immigration protests would turn violent.
Detectives have said there is no indication Monday’s knife attack was terror-related.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched a “critical incident” in response to the incident which was captured on video and appears to show a man stabbing at the victim’s head and neck while he was lying on the ground.
The clip shows people, including one with a hurling stick, intervening to stop the man attacking the victim in the Kinnaird Avenue residential area close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.
A kitchen knife was recovered from the scene.
Earlier on Tuesday, police revealed details on the arrested man’s immigration status and how he travelled to the UK.
He entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border in February 2023 having flown to Dublin from Paris.
He claimed asylum upon arrival and in September 2023 was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher briefed reporters on the status of the investigation as he appeared alongside Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Justice Minister Naomi Long at a press conference at Stormont on Tuesday afternoon.
Commenting on the prospect of disorder, the police chief warned people against being influenced “from afar through social media”.
“I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling enraged with emotions from fear to anger, but please, please let the PSNI, let the police do their job unfettered and undistracted by wider concerns there may be about disorder,” he said.
As the disorder broke out, Long said “hate cannot be allowed” to win.
Long said: “Earlier today, I stood beside the First Minister, deputy First Minister and the PSNI Chief Constable and we appealed for calm.
“Sadly, there are those who have chosen to ignore those pleas; they are intent on wreaking destruction on the very communities they claim they are trying to protect.
“They are weaponising the genuine hurt, concern and anger that people are feeling for their own misguided purposes.
“There is no place for masked thugs to take to the streets and threaten, intimidate, disrupt and cause wanton damage – it is simply disingenuous to claim this is being carried out for the good of Northern Ireland.
“I would appeal once again to communities not to allow themselves to be used and abused in this manner. Disorder on the streets, such as we are seeing tonight, is diverting valuable police resources away from those who genuinely need them. These are not the actions of people who genuinely care about their communities.
“While I recognise and understand the concerns following on from the attack in north Belfast, hate cannot be allowed to win.”
