Burning by violent rioters in Belfast (Photo courtesy of AFP, AP, and Reuters)
A 3o-year-old Sudanese man stabbed a 44-year-old man in Belfast on Monday night and made threats. Now, the Belfast stabbing has triggered racially motivated riots all over Belfast.
Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese seeking asylum in Ireland, stabbed 44-year-old Stephen Ogilvie on the night of Monday, 8th June 2026. The unfortunate attack took place in the vicinity of Kinnaird Avenue.
The Fate of Stephen Ogilvy
It is not yet clear why Alodid attacked Ogilvie, but the Sudanese is now in police custody. Unfortunately, Ogilvy has lost vision in one eye. According to Ogilvy’s family, he is still in the hospital, hoping to heal from other cuts on his face and back.
The aftermath of the Monday Belfast Stabbing
Following the Monday night stabbing, residents of Belfast took to the streets to protest. On Tuesday, the protests escalated into violent riots, mainly targeting people of color.
Some masked men chased one hapless nurse, threatening to harm her, but she ran and entered a hospital. People have complained of rioters burning houses thought to belong to immigrants.
The effect of the Belfast stabbing is no longer confined to the Kinnaird Avenue area. It has spread to different places, including Antrim and Newtownabbey. It is also felt in Ballymena. Apparently, rioters first met in these places to plan their vengeful attacks.
The Belfast rioters did not spare cars. Apparently, they identified an area with several immigrants and set cars and houses on fire. One of the areas the rioters targeted for racial attacks was Lendrick Street, a location dominated by immigrants, including many from Congo.
UK Leaders Condemn the Violent Attacks
The situation in Belfast has become so serious that it has drawn the attention of the British Parliament. Leaders have condemned the violent riots, while at the same time condemning the Monday night knife attack that triggered the riots.
Tuesday evening saw over 200 people gather close to the Newtownards Road, and soon they were causing mayhem. They wore masks as they lit bins on the road. Some rioters even burnt a police vehicle in Portadown.
Riots in Belfast have become a common sight since the Monday of the Kinnaird Avenue stabbing. Racial attacks are being directed at people who had nothing to do with the Monday night attack.
For instance, on Wednesday night, some racially motivated rioters set a house belonging to a man around 30 years of age on fire. According to the man, the house has been his home for the last 10 years.
Some of those racially motivated attacks, veiled as revenge for the Monday night stabbing, were well coordinated. It is said the attackers identified roughly 25 addresses within the central and southern parts of Belfast for arson and other forms of damage. They are said to have done their identification and scheming over social media.
It is unfortunate how racial attacks, or simply hate attacks, seem to be spreading in different parts of the world. Currently, South Africa is dealing with the problem of Xenophobia, with foreign Africans leaving the country en masse.
Hopefully, residents of Belfast will heed the Prime Minister’s call to maintain calm and shun racially motivated attacks.