Thousands turn out for anti-racism rally after Belfast unrest

On Saturday, thousands assembled in Belfast for an anti‑racism rally following a violent stabbing incident that had sparked widespread unrest.

Participants displayed signs bearing slogans such as “Hate is the only threat to our streets” and “Belfast stands against racism.”

The city experienced two nights of disorder after a video of the Monday night knife attack—showing a man straddling a victim on the street and slashing him—went viral on social media.

A Sudanese man was brought to court on Wednesday on charges of attempting to murder Stephen Ogilvie, who remains hospitalized.

Seventy‑three‑year‑old protester Hilary Hunter told AFP that she attended because she was “just disgusted at what’s going on, our beautiful country.”

“Everybody’s here just to show that those people… causing all the problems aren’t speaking for us,” she added at the event organized by the Unite Against Racism group.

On Thursday, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the rioting had instilled fear, with some people being “intimidated” and “burned out of their houses by masked thugs on the basis of the colour of their skin.”

He noted reports of motorists being stopped to ask for their nationality on their way to work, calling the practice “completely unacceptable.”

Local councillor Seamas de Faoite of the SDLP, the main nationalist party in Northern Ireland, said the turnout demonstrated that residents were “appalled” by the “racist violence.”

He added that city organisations had been working tirelessly to provide temporary accommodation for those who were “too frightened” to return home.

Immigration remains a contentious issue in both the UK and Ireland, contributing to the rise of the hard‑right Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.

Both countries have witnessed frequent anti‑immigration protests in recent years, some of which have turned violent.

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