Belfast burns after Sudanese migrant arrested in brutal knife attack
A Sudanese asylum seeker accused of blinding a Belfast man in one eye during a stabbing attack appeared in court Wednesday as anti-immigrant unrest spread across Northern Ireland.
Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered to be held in jail after appearing by video in Belfast Magistrates' Court, where prosecutors accused him of blinding Stephen Ogilvie in his left eye during Monday's attack.
Alodid was charged with attempted murder, threatening to kill a radiographer and possessing a knife. He declined legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.
The attack, which occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday in north Belfast and was captured in graphic video footage that quickly spread online, sparked outrage and fueled demonstrations that turned violent overnight. Police said Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, suffered serious injuries to his face, neck, back and eyes, and officers recovered what they believe was a kitchen knife from the scene.
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Video circulating online appeared to show members of the public confronting the attacker, including one person wielding a hurling stick. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson praised the bystanders as "heroic," saying their intervention helped save the victim's life.
Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was granted a five-year permit to remain. Authorities initially identified him as Somali before later correcting his nationality to Sudanese.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said investigators had "no information to suggest that this was a terrorist-related incident" and were not seeking additional suspects.
Masked men set fire to several homes they believed housed immigrants following the incident. They also burned trash bins, torched a Belfast bus and threw objects at police officers. Firefighters rescued multiple people from burning homes.
Police said they had declared a critical incident and increased their presence across Northern Ireland amid concerns about further unrest.
Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he witnessed the aftermath of the unrest near his home.
"I've lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbors, but last night was a horrific one," he told Reuters. "We don't know what to do. I'm scared. Seeing this, I'm wondering if I'm next."
First Minister Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Fein described the unrest as "thuggery."
"Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice," she said.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party said that "taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the stabbing attack "sickening" and condemned violence targeting people because of their background.
"The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable," Starmer wrote on X. "There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it."
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The unrest was amplified online by anti-immigration activists, including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson.
Some politicians said the stabbing should prompt a review of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a highly sensitive issue because free movement across the border is a central pillar of the peace process that largely ended decades of violence known as "The Troubles." The conflict involving Irish republican and British loyalist militants, as well as U.K. security forces, left nearly 3,600 people dead before the 1998 peace accord.
Much of Tuesday's unrest took place in working-class areas where former paramilitary groups continue to wield influence.
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The case comes amid ongoing debate in Britain over another fatal stabbing that drew national attention in Southampton, England, last year.
Henry Nowak, who was White, was killed by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh man who falsely claimed to police that he had been the victim of a racist assault by Nowak. Officers initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before recognizing his injuries and attempting to save his life.
Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced last week to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. The case has fueled debate about policing and race, and a protest following the killing turned violent, with some participants attacking officers with chairs and rocks. Several people were later charged with violent disorder.
Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.