Fresh protests erupt after Belfast stabbing

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

Protesters have set cars and buildings alight in Belfast after a Sudanese national was accused of stabbing someone in the city. The suspect, who was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2023 after entering the UK from Ireland, has been charged with attempted murder. Footage showed the attacker striking another man’s head and neck with what appears to be a kitchen knife. The victim has significant eye injuries and slash wounds. Police chiefs had appealed for calm after anti-immigration figures called for protests, prompting fears of unrest similar to the riots that broke out in Southampton in response to Henry Nowak’s murder. Dozens of men wearing balaclavas kicked in doors and burned vehicles, saying they were “getting the foreigners out”, and public transport across Northern Ireland was suspended after a bus was set alight.