A tragic knife attack on a man in Belfast on Monday 8 June 2026 is being exploited by the global far-right and loyalist paramilitaries to fuel racist pogroms against migrants in the North of Ireland.
On Tuesday night, 9 June, migrant-owned shops closed early as footage circulated of masked men, smashing windows and kicking in doors of houses in loyalist parts of Belfast believed to belong to migrants.
Houses, cars and buses have been burnt out - while racist gangs chanted "foreigners out."
Schools closed early on Tuesday 9 June, and bus and rail services have been scaled back or cancelled.
The family of Stephen Ogilvy, the victim in Monday night's knife attack in Belfast, say "unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward."
Despite this, violence has been incited on social media platforms such as Elon Musk's X and amplified by far right figures such as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
Last week, the murderer of Natalie McNally was sentenced to life. Natalie was murdered, while pregnant, in a frenzied knife attack by a former partner. There were no riots.
These mobs are only interested in this case because the suspect, Hadi Alodid, is a 30-year-old Sudanese man. He entered the UK in 2023 and was given refugee status.
Anti-immigration protests have spread to various parts of the North, with demonstrations also taking place in Glasgow.
The DUP, meanwhile, called on Starmer to protect and close "the open, porous border between our country and the Irish Republic".
United Against Racism has organised a Together Against Hate demonstration on Saturday 13 June at 1pm outside City Hall.
The far right and the racists, fuelled by billionaires like Musk have nothing to offer workers in the North of Ireland. Workers, black and white, need to unite and fight this attempt to stir up hatred against migrants and show solidarity to those affected.
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