Anti-immigration protesters torched buildings and vehicles in Belfast on Tuesday evening and blocked roads, a day after a stabbing allegedly by a Sudanese refugee, captured in a graphic video that shocked the country.
Hundreds of protesters, many masked, gathered at several locations across Belfast. A bus and several cars were set alight, while a building fringing the city centre caught fire and its residents had to be evacuated.
Police helicopters patrolled above the city and shops were also closed early.
Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, slammed the protests and urged calm.
Crowds also gathered in Antrim, around 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Belfast.
US tech billionaire Elon Musk had earlier retweeted a post by anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon also known as Tommy Robinson adding: “Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!”.
The suspect in the knife attack, whose name has not been released, was charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed weapon in a public place and making threats to kill. The 30-year-old man is due to appear in court.
As anti-immigration figures, including Reform party leader Nigel Farage and Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, demanded details about the attacker, the interior ministry confirmed he was a Sudanese refugee with a residence permit valid until 2028.
Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher said he had arrived in the UK in 2023 via Paris and Dublin.