Belfast: A 30-year-old suspect is due to appear Wednesday before the Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with attempted murder following a stabbing attack that preceded a night of disorder across parts of Northern Ireland. The court appearance comes after widespread unrest late Tuesday, when anti-immigration demonstrations took place across Northern Ireland in response to Monday's knife attack in north Belfast.
According to Anadolu Agency, several protests descended into violence, with homes and vehicles set alight and public transport disrupted. Residents were forced to flee their homes as disorder spread through a number of areas. In east Belfast, a Glider bus was set on fire, prompting the suspension of all bus and train services. Authorities said the suspect also faces charges of possessing a bladed article in a public place and making threats to kill.
Media reports said the suspect is a Sudanese national who had been granted leave to remain in the UK after entering via Ireland. The victim, a man in his 40s, remains in hospital with serious injuries to his eyes, neck, and back, according to reports.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland urged calm and asked residents not to take the law into their own hands, while investigations into the attack and the subsequent disorder continue. Further incidents were reported near the Ligoniel Road area of Belfast, where several homes and vehicles were set alight. In Portadown, a police vehicle was also burned, according to The Irish Times newspaper.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said crews faced intense demand throughout the evening. An NIFRS spokesperson told the newspaper that it was a 'busy evening responding to a high volume of fire calls.' 'Between 7 pm (local time) and midnight, our Regional Control Centre managed 256 calls resulting in attendance at 62 incidents. The majority of these incidents were in the Greater Belfast Area where an additional 21 fire appliances from across Northern Ireland were required to meet demand,' added the spokesperson.
Political leaders condemned the violence, describing the attacks on homes and communities as unacceptable. Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill condemned the 'outright thuggery' late Tuesday. 'Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,' she said. The disturbances are being investigated by police as authorities seek to restore calm following two nights of escalating tensions. Further details are expected to emerge following the suspect's court appearance.