Manchester, UK – Violent riots have engulfed Belfast since Tuesday, June 9 after a video from the day prior circulated online depicting the attempted beheading of Stephen Ogilvie by Sudanese national Hadi Alodid. Since the incident, Alodid has been arrested along with 19 others following scenes of arson and property damage.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack alongside politicians from across the political spectrum. Starmer deemed it “horrific and abhorrent”.
In Northern Ireland, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) further denounced the attack in a joint statement.
As seen with the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton on June 2, it was the hard right of British politics – bolstered by the online far-right – that issued the strongest statements.
“Millions and millions need to leave or be made to leave,” said Rupert Lowe, leader of far-right Restore Britain, on social media platform X. The party also issued a statement promising that, if elected, “murderous third-world savages” would be put to death.
The statements were echoed by Elon Musk, owner of X and the world’s first trillionaire, who reposted Restore Britain.
Read more: Starmer condemns Musk’s “interference” in UK politics following Henry Nowak murder commentary
Musk, alongside far-right agitator Tommy Robinson – who was recently seen together with Musk’s father in Moscow – called for people to take to the streets following Monday’s incident, and anonymous instructions were shared warning businesses to close.
On the ground, white supremacist “Active Clubs” are alleged to have helped orchestrate the riots by mobilising young men in Belfast.
In response to accusations of inciting violence, Musk responded on X: “Murderous migrants beheading innocent people in their home town is what’s making people angry, not ‘social media’!”
The cycle of social media outrage and subsequent street violence in response to crimes committed by ethnic minorities has become a frequent occurrence in British politics since the trillionaire’s takeover of X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, the scenes in Belfast are reminiscent of the 2024 Southport riots in reaction to the murder of three young girls by Axel Rudakubana, of Rwandan origin.
Beyond the trillionaire, the UK has become a frequent target of social media attacks by the global far-right, who claim a “Muslim takeover” of the country. The rise of rightists Reform UK and Restore Britain now serve as domestic conduits for international rage against immigration and Islam.
But the violence in Belfast this week has caused widespread outrage for both the damage caused and the rhetoric that accompanied it. On Tuesday Night, hundreds of masked men took to the streets and set private property ablaze, and on Wednesday, students in a dozen schools were sent home early so teachers could commute safely before 1pm, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
Rioters then reemerged and targeted a hotel used as asylum accommodation in the outskirts of the city.
Numerous testimonies from the victims of the riots have been released, with one man describing how his house was completely destroyed by a rioter-initiated fire.
Ethnic minorities in the Belfast area have said that they now fear for their lives. Chinoso Uche, a Nigerian nurse who moved to Belfast during the pandemic, shared further stories of how rioters threw stones at her head as she made her way to work.
Yet, the strongest condemnation has come from Ogilvie’s family. On Wednesday, the family released a statement, saying that the unrest was “not welcome”, and that peaceful protest was the “only way forward.”
“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility,” the letter read.
Following the first two nights of violence, Thursday’s protests ended without incident. According to DUP leader Gavin Rovinson, Stephen Ogilvie’s condition is improving, though he has lost sight in one eye.
Featured image: SprinterPress via X.
