[Spam] Northern Ireland police appeal for calm after 'barbaric' African knife attack sparks anger

BELFAST, June 9 (Reuters) - Police in Northern Ireland appealed for calm
after arresting a Sudanese man on Tuesday over a knife attack that left
one person in a serious condition and prompted calls online for protest.
 
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as
"sickening" after video of the attack, which took place in north Belfast
late on Monday evening, was shared widely on social media. 

The incident, which is currently not being treated as terrorism, comes
at a time of heightened tensions in Britain following the murder of a
student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds
after his killer, a Sikh man, falsely alleged a racist attack. 

It also follows repeated protests about immigration, with populist
parties saying Britain's asylum policy had allowed dangerous men into
the country. Northern Ireland saw anti-immigrant rioting last year amid
anger over an alleged sexual assault. 

SERIOUS INJURIES
"I understand that last night's attempted murder will leave people
feeling a range of emotions, from fear to anger," Northern Ireland's
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, who has declared it a
"critical incident", told a press conference. 

"I appeal for calm and the safety of all of our communities in response
to this." 

He said the victim, a man in his 40s, suffered significant injuries to
his eyes and slash wounds to his face and back during the "brutal"
attack, with a kitchen knife found at the scene. 

Footage showed a number of members of the public trying to fight off
the attacker before police arrived, and they were credited by senior
officers with saving the man's life. 

The suspect, a 30-year-old Sudanese national, has been detained on
suspicion of attempted murder. 

Police said it was understood he lived locally, having been granted
leave to remain in the UK in September 2023 after claiming asylum. He
had travelled to Belfast in February that year by bus from Dublin,
having flown there from Paris on an unknown date. 

"There is no trace of this suspect on any of our national security
databases, and he was not known to the Police Service of Northern
Ireland," Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said. 

Northern Ireland's main political party leaders jointly condemned the
?attack, calling it "horrific", and also called for calm, saying
disturbances would only damage their communities. 

"Last night's attack in North Belfast was horrific and shocking. Many
people are feeling angry, and many people are feeling deeply
distressed," First Minister Michelle O'Neill told reporters. 

A widely shared post on Facebook and WhatsApp has called for protests on
Tuesday evening, and in response police have promised an increased
presence across the ?region. 

"Nobody, nobody in Northern Ireland wants to see a repeat of the
disorder that we have seen in recent years," Henderson said. 

Reporting by Amanda Ferguson in Belfast and Conor Humphries in Dublin;
writing by Michael Holden and Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Kate Holton,
Alex Richardson and Gareth Jones 

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/northern-ireland-police-arrest-man-over-
barbaric-knife-attack-2026-06-09/