Overview
- The knife attack happened on Monday night in north Belfast and left a man in his 40s hospitalised with serious wounds to his face, neck and back.
- A Sudanese man in his 30s was detained at the scene, has been charged with attempted murder and related offences, and remains in custody.
- Police say the suspect arrived in the UK in 2023 via Paris and Dublin, held a five-year residence permit, was not previously known to officers and the incident is not being treated as terrorism at this stage.
- A video of the assault circulated widely and witnesses described what appeared to be an attempted decapitation, prompting police to declare a critical incident and ask the public not to share graphic footage.
- Hours after the footage spread, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters gathered across Belfast, leading to vehicles and buildings being set alight, attacks on homes where migrants lived, evacuations, a raised police presence and cross-party calls for calm while courts and criminal inquiries proceed.