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Police attempt to disperse demonstrators in Newtownabbey, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 10 (local time). / AP, Yonhap

Anti-immigrant protests triggered by a knife attack in Northern Ireland have intensified, leading to violent clashes for two consecutive days, the Associated Press and The Guardian reported on June 11 (local time).

According to Northern Ireland police authorities, a stabbing occurred on the streets of Belfast on June 8, leaving the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, blinded in one eye and suffering from severe wounds to his head and back. The suspect was identified as Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national who had applied for asylum in the UK. He has been detained on charges including attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon. Police are investigating the specific motive but believe the incident is highly unlikely to be linked to terrorism.

As video footage capturing the crime spread rapidly across social media, violent protests rooted in anti-immigrant sentiment erupted in Belfast and other areas. Some demonstrators attempted to set fire to public transit vehicles and residential properties suspected of housing immigrants, while pelting police officers with stones and Molotov cocktails.

Government figures indicate that the unrest has left more than 24 people displaced and 12 police officers injured.

The latest unrest is analyzed as an extension of a recent series of violent crimes and subsequent social tensions within the UK. In 2024, a stabbing at a dance class in Southport similarly triggered mass protests after false information spread on social media claiming the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Furthermore, a recent fatal stabbing of a university student in Southampton sparked controversy over "two-tier policing" after it was revealed that responding officers mistook the white victim for the perpetrator.

These deep-seated grievances have fueled political and international debates. While the anti-immigration party Reform UK has pointed out inequalities within the judicial and law enforcement systems, government officials have denied any systemic bias and defended the fairness of policing.

                                                                                                          Lee Jeong-eun