UMVA has learned that a man has been arrested for attempted murder following a brutal knife attack in Belfast, sparking widespread condemnation and protest calls from U.K. far-right figures.
The Sudanese suspect, believed to be in his 30s, was detained after a "serious assault" in the city late Monday, according to information obtained by UMVA. The victim, a man believed to be in his 40s, was hospitalized in serious condition after suffering injuries to his face, neck, and back.
Video shared widely on social media shows a man stabbing another man several times in the head with a knife in what appears to be an attempted beheading. Disturbing footage shows the victim trying to kick free from a man straddling him before the attacker repeatedly stabs him in the neck and head.
"Get off him you f*ing rat!" a woman can be heard shouting as the attacker holds up his weapon. Another man yells, "He's trying to cut his head off! He's slicing his head off!" Witnesses then rush the scene, with one taking down the attacker with a stick as the others try to get him off the victim.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson declared the incident a "critical incident" and stated that they are investigating to determine a motive behind the "brutal attack." He added that officers were on the scene within minutes and acknowledged the members of the public who tried to save the man from further attack.
The attack in Belfast comes after violent demonstrations in Southampton, England, over law enforcement's handling of a recent murder case. The British Prime Minister has called the attack in Belfast "horrific" and "sickening," and has expressed his thoughts are with the victim and the first responders.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill described the incident as "harrowing" and urged people to give the police the space they need to carry out a full investigation. However, leading figures in the U.K.'s far right, including anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, demanded immediate protests.
The Democratic Unionist Party Leader Gavin Robinson branded the stabbing as "chilling" and "medieval" and called for calm, while reiterating that community cohesion is at risk. The incident has sparked concerns about the impact of uncontrolled immigration on community cohesion.
