Last Monday, a video went viral on social media showing an attack on Stephen Ogilvie, a Belfast resident in his 40s, who remains hospitalized with deep cuts to his back and head. The alleged perpetrator, Hadi Alodid, originally from Sudan, has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a knife in a public place.
The incident triggered anti-migration riots on the following Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in cars being set on fire and windows being smashed. The unrest was reportedly fuelled online by far-right activists. Alodid arrived in Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in 2023. Following an asylum application, he was granted a five-year residence permit.
Ogilvie’s family has publicly rejected the violent demonstrations and stated through the police: “We have witnessed a lot of false information circulating on social media, which is now forcing us to clarify that our loved one is, in fact, in a stable condition. We are solely focused on his recovery at this time.”
Anti-Migration Riots
The riots began on Tuesday, when a mob of approximately 300 masked men set fire to homes occupied by immigrants and to rubbish bins while shouting, “Foreigners out.” Police attempted to extinguish the fires and, by 11:30 p.m., had dispersed the crowd.
On the second day of unrest, police were forced to deploy water cannons against the violent crowd. First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin described the events as “thuggery” and stated: “Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice.”
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