British lawmakers have condemned the apparent attempted beheading on the streets of Belfast as “sickening”, “barbaric”, and “medieval” as police announced the arrest of a man thought to be from Sudan. Meanwhile, left-wing politicians have warned of a potential retaliation from the so-called “far-right”.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show a man, seemingly of African descent, repeatedly stabbing at the neck and head area of a man on the ground in an apparent beheading attempt. A police update on Tuesday morning said the suspect, earlier said to be Somalian, is actually of Sudanese origin.
The attack has sent shockwaves throughout the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer describing the attack as “sickening”.
“I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets,” Starmer said. “My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.”
The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Gavin Robinson, described the stabbing as “barbaric” and “medieval”, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
“What I have seen on social media over the last 12 hours is something you cannot unsee. It was medieval. It was the systematic mutilation of a human being on the streets of Belfast. I said it already, I’ll say it again, you can sense that this is quite different from the assaults or criminal disorder we sadly see in many villages and towns throughout Northern Ireland,” the Belfast East MP said.
The DUP leader warned that the attack could have a serious impact on community relations and therefore “it’s important that the police speak very clearly and powerfully to provide all of the details in a way they wouldn’t ordinarily do because this is not an ordinary incident.”
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added that the “attempted beheading in Belfast is appalling” and that the government must ensure that all of the details about the suspect’s nationality and immigration status are provided to the public.
“If it turns out this man is an illegal immigrant, it would provide further evidence that the Government’s lack of border control is endangering the public,” he said.
Others were quick to warn of the supposed danger of a “far-right” backlash to the attack, with left-wing Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) North Belfast Councillor Carl Whyte urged people not to share footage of the attack or to “engage with far-Right elements who will use this incident in an attempt to sow division.”
Former SDLP leader and MP for Foyle, Colum Eastwood, declared that the attack in Belfast should “not be used by English, right wing politicians for their own ends,” adding: “I don’t ever remember them commenting on any of the other hellish things that community has experienced over the years.” Users on social media were quick to note that Eastwood had previously used the death of George Floyd in the United States to push Black Lives Matter ideology in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, The Times of London claimed that “anti-immigration protesters have sought to capitalise on the incident by calling for a mass protest in Belfast on Tuesday evening,” citing an anonymous post on social media, which the paper claimed to have encouraged people to be “prepared to fight or be arrested”.
At the time of this reporting, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have yet to reveal any potential motive for the attack. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said that the force is “treating this attack with the utmost seriousness” and that their investigation “continues at pace”.
“Our officers were on the scene within minutes and we wish to acknowledge the members of the public who strived to save the man from further attack. Their willingness to step forward to help another person shows incredible bravery and community spirit,” Henderson said.
The police spokesman also urged the public not to share footage or repost images of the attack, saying that “doing so risks causing further trauma to the injured man’s loved ones and may impact the ongoing investigation.”