Belfast: The family of the victim of a horrific knife attack in Belfast have pleaded with the public to reject the riots that swept through the city on Tuesday night, amid fears that masked protesters may return to migrant communities to set fire to homes.
The family statement came after police charged a Sudanese asylum seeker, Hadi Alodid, 30, with attempted murder after a shocking assault on Monday night that sparked a political storm over crime and migration.
Belfast residents prepared for another wave of protests by closing stores and cafes early on Wednesday, shutting schools and leaving the city centre for their homes in case anti-immigrant gangs returned to set fire to homes and vehicles.
The victim of the stabbing attack, Stephen Ogilvy, is in hospital after losing his left eye and suffering severe damage to his right eye, as well as incurring deep cuts to his face and back.
Ogilvy’s parents issued a statement on Wednesday to thank the onlookers who rushed to his aid before police could arrive to detain the suspect.
“We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue,” they said.
“This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover.
“We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward.
“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work.
“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.”
New details emerged about Alodid when he faced Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning (about 8pm AEST) and was refused bail.
The court heard Alodid had allegedly threatened to kill a National Health Service radiographer before the stabbing attack on Monday night. He is due to appear in court again on July 8.
Conservative politicians including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Restore leader Rupert Lowe seized on the events to step up their calls for a halt to migration and the deportation of migrants already settled in the UK, turning the attack into a national debate over migration.
They and others expressed outrage that Alodid had been allowed into the UK by travelling from Sudan to France and then flying from Paris to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, before catching a bus to Belfast. In doing so, he took advantage of the lack of border checks on people travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Jon Boutcher called the riots on Tuesday night an “act of self-harm” by those who took part because of the damage to the community, and he revealed that he had called in help from other police forces to prepare for further protests.
“This disorder is an insult to the victim of this assault, an insult to the members of the public who bravely stepped forward to save his life and the officers who rushed to the scene,” he said.
“If you have a niece, nephew, brother, sister or a member of your local sports club, if you’ve seen them at the disorder, stop them from coming out today. This has got to stop. We cannot have a society that allows this to happen.”
Police have acted against some of those who took part in the riots on Tuesday night, including a 39-year-old man charged with riot and a 42-year-old charged with riot, attempted criminal damage and assault on a police officer.
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David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.