Star Metro - Belfast girds for more violence after stabbing suspect held

Several schools closed and businesses shut early after a Sudanese man appeared in court over a brutal knife attack that triggered Tuesday evening's unrest in the British province's capital.

Police were bolstering their presence after masked rioters torched vehicles and buildings, forcing families to flee their homes, in scenes that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded "shocking and completely unacceptable".

The violence, which spread to Scotland, comes as tensions in the UK are already high. There were skirmishes in southern England last week over the police handling of the murder of a white student by a British Sikh man.

Anselme Shima, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and who has lived in Northern Ireland since 2013, called the situation "terrifying".

"I have two children at home and this morning I am wondering, 'Can I send them to school?'" the 48-year-old told AFP Wednesday.

Calls for more protests circulated on Wednesday.

Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher said the force was looking to add a further 200 officers to the streets, while local transport authorities cancelled bus and train services for Wednesday evening.

Boutcher said police had to take a baby as young as two months old and its family to safety during Tuesday's disorder, which he branded "a huge act of self-harm by mindless idiots", many of whom appeared to be young men.

The violence followed widespread condemnation of a stabbing allegedly committed by Hadi Alodid, 30, a refugee originally from Sudan, on a man in his 40s who a court heard lost an eye in the attack.

- 'Bad faith actors' -

Alodid made a brief appearance at Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with attempted murder. He was also charged with possession of a bladed article in public and threats to kill.

He was remanded in custody by a judge, who adjourned the case to July 8.

In a statement released shortly afterwards on the Facebook page of a local politician, the victim's family appealed for calm.

"We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility," they said.

Northern Ireland police said three people had been arrested over the disorder, including a 39-year-old man who has already been charged. The victim remains in hospital "with serious injuries", the force added.

In the Scottish city of Glasgow, there were also three arrests as two police officers and three members of the public were injured, Scotland's police force said.

Footage of the Belfast stabbing -- which showed several people intervening, one wielding a hurling stick -- sparked widespread condemnation. Despite pleas from authorities not to share the video, it went viral on social media.

Numerous social media accounts linked to so-called "patriots" shared the footage, urging people to "protest against mass immigration into their communities".

The chairwoman of Britain's ruling Labour party, Anna Turley, said online platforms were "playing a role in driving" the unrest. She suggested X owner Elon Musk was one of the "bad faith actors" inflaming tensions.

Musk had retweeted a post by anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon -- also known as Tommy Robinson -- adding: "Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!".

He also retweeted a post by Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, a fringe hard-right party, saying "millions must go".

Musk "has a responsibility, everyone in public and civil life has a responsibility to call for calm and not to stoke grievance or hatred... that puts vulnerable people and our communities at risk," Turley said.

Britain's media watchdog Ofcom said it had written to online service providers about "the increased risk of their platforms being used to stir up hatred, provoke violence and commit other offences under UK law".

Alodid is a Sudanese refugee with a residence permit valid until 2028, according to the UK interior ministry.

Immigration is a hot-button issue in Britain, and has helped fuel the rise of the hard-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage.

The country frequently sees anti-immigration protests. Demonstrators clashed with police in Southampton on June 2 amid outrage over the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in December.

He was handcuffed by police as he lay dying after his murderer, British Sikh Vickrum Digwa, falsely accused Nowak of racially abusing him.

O.Ouellet--SMC