Belfast knife assault protestors set fireplace to bus as tensions rage regardless of requires calm
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched a ‘critical incident’ in response to the attack which was captured on video and appears to show a man stabbing at the victim’s head and neck
A Glider bus, set fire by protesters, on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, as disorder flared during an anti-immigration demonstration organised in response to Monday night’s stabbing attack in the city.
A 30 year-old man arrested in connection with the Belfast stabbing attack has been charged with attempted murder and will appear in court in the city on Wednesday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said. Picture date: Tuesday June 9, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: PA/PA Wire
Protesters have set fire to a bus as disorder flares at an anti-immigration demonstration organised in response to a stabbing attack. Flames can be seen raging from the Glider bus on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast.
Masked males set commercial bins alight and pushed them into the bus. It came as a large crowd gathered in the area for a scheduled anti-immigration protest. Demonstrations are taking place in areas across Northern Ireland and further afield following Monday night’s incident.
Multiple roads have been blocked by groups of masked protesters and residents are being removed from houses which have caught fire in Lendrick Street. It comes just hours after a man in his 40s was left with serious injuries to his eyes and neck after being ambushed. The suspect, a Sudanese national aged in his 30s, who entered the UK across the Irish border having flown from Paris to Dublin, has been charged with attempted murder.
At a protest in Southampton tonight, banners read “no racism, just patriotism” and “end two-tier policing, end two-tier justice”. They began chanting “secure our borders, mass deportation”, and “stop the boats, send them home”.
Meanwhile, there has been widespread condemnation of Monday night’s knife assault. Police commanders and political leaders have also appealed for calm amid concern anti-immigration protests planned in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening could turn violent.
Detectives have said there is no indication the 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.
In a social media post shared by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, organisers of the “flash protest” said it was in response to the “disgusting video we are witnessing”, in what is understood to be a reference to the stabbing in Belfast on Monday.
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.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire.
“We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk.
“Officers are on the ground, working alongside partner agencies, responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe.
“We are again appealing for calm and ask all voices of influence within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder.”
