Knife attack victim’s family calls for calm after anti-immigrant violence in Belfast

BELFAST: The family of a man who lost an eye in a knife attack made an urgent appeal for calm on Wednesday after the incident sparked a wave of intense anti-immigrant violence across Belfast overnight.

Masked mobs targeted ethnic minorities, torching vehicles and forcing immigrant families out of their homes.

The unrest erupted after a video of the knife attack went viral on social media. The family of the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, issued a statement distancing themselves from the rioters.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward,” the family said. “We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country… We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.”

The violence drew strong condemnation from London and local leaders. Speaking in parliament, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that while the attack raised serious questions, “driving people out of their homes is not… the right way to respond.” He warned that all those involved in the rioting would face “the full force of the law.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill also slammed the attackers, describing the actions of the masked men as “nothing less than disgusting cowardice.”

The flare-up coincided with the first court appearance of the suspect, Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national. Alodid has been charged with attempted murder and was remanded in custody. The court heard that Ogilvie, who is in his 40s, suffered severe injuries to his face and back during the assault.

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long accused “bad faith actors” of weaponizing public anger to target people based on their skin color. The incident also caught global attention, with tech billionaire Elon Musk and several right-wing activists sharing posts regarding the situation in Belfast.

In response to calls for further protests, Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher announced the deployment of an additional 200 police officers. “These idiots didn’t just target ethnic minority groups… they targeted society,” Boutcher said.

Local religious leaders revealed that long-term residents were being targeted solely because of their race. Belfast pastor Jack McKee told the BBC that some members of his congregation, who had lived in the area for two decades, were being forced out of their homes “just because they’re Black.”