British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday strongly condemned the anti-immigrant violence that erupted overnight in Belfast, calling the scenes “shocking and completely unacceptable” and vowing that those behind the chaos will face “the full force of the law.”““It’s clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate that,” Starmer said after rioters attacked homes, set fire to vehicles and clashed with police in parts of the Northern Ireland capital.The UK Prime Minister said he had spoken to the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to thank officers and emergency responders for their efforts, and had also discussed the situation with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.Starmer urged people to let police do their job, saying “appealing for calm must be the priority.”
Violence broke out after stabbing
Unrest broke out in north Belfast after a knife attack late on Monday left a man in his 40s seriously injured. The 30-year-old Sudanese national has been charged with attempt to murder, possessing a bladed article in a public place and threatening to kill.The suspect is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday.According to police, the victim suffered serious injuries to his eyes as well as injuries to his face and back in what authorities described as a “brutal” attack. A kitchen knife was recovered at the scene.Video footage circulated online showed members of the public attempting to stop the attacker before police arrived. Senior officers later credited the interveners with helping save the victim’s life.
Houses were attacked, vehicles were set on fire
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Belfast on Tuesday evening as news and footage of the stabbing spread online. Many people covered their faces and police deployed armored vehicles at several flashpoints.Rioters set fire to several cars across the city, while a bus burst into flames in east Belfast. The BBC reported that about 100 people targeted houses on a street in east Belfast, kicking in doors and breaking windows.Pastor Jack McKee told the broadcaster that it appeared black residents were specifically targeted during some of the attacks.Families were reportedly forced from their homes as masked groups vandalized the affected areas.
What did Starmer say about knife attacks?
Before condemning the riots, Starmer described the original stabbing as “tragic”. The prime minister’s comments came as authorities continued to investigate the incident, which police said was not being treated as an act of terrorism at this time.The Belfast violence comes amid rising tensions over immigration and public safety in parts of Britain. Similar anti-immigrant riots broke out in Northern Ireland last year following sexual assault allegations, although charges against two boys arrested in that case were later dropped.The latest unrest also follows a series of immigration-related protests across Britain, in which critics of the government’s asylum policies argue that current systems have allowed potentially dangerous individuals to enter the country.Police have appealed for calm as investigations into both the stabbing and the chaos that followed continue.