Belfast: The family of the victim of a horrific knife attack in Belfast has urged the public to reject the violence that broke out in the city on Tuesday night, amid fears that masked protesters may return to migrant communities to set fire to homes.
The family’s statement came after police charged Sudanese asylum seeker Hadi Alodid, 30, with attempted murder. after the shocking attack on Monday night which created a political storm over crime and immigration.
Belfast residents braced for another wave of protests by closing shops and restaurants early Wednesday, closing schools and leaving the city center for their homes if anti-immigrant gangs return to torch homes and cars.
The stabbing victim, Stephen Ogilvy, is in hospital after losing his left eye and suffering serious damage to his right eye, as well as serious injuries to his face and back.
Ogilvy’s parents issued a statement Wednesday thanking bystanders who rushed to his aid before police arrived to take the suspect into custody.
“We are deeply saddened by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue,” they said.
“This has been a huge shock to our whole family, and right now, our priority is to be by his bedside and help him recover.
“We are aware of the tension and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it very clear that the chaos of the night is unacceptable, and peaceful protests are the only way forward.
“We have many immigrants who make important contributions to our country, including in our health care system and the hospitality sector and we rely on them to make our country work.
“We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or incite hostility.”
New details emerged about Alodid when he appeared in Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning (about 8pm AEST) and was refused bail.
The court heard Alodid allegedly threatened to kill a National Health Service radiographer before the knife attack on Monday night. He is expected to appear in court again on July 8.
Conservative politicians including UK Reform leader Nigel Farage and Reform leader Rupert Lowe seized on the events to heighten their calls for a freeze on immigration and the deportation of migrants already in Britain, turning the attack into a national debate on immigration.
They and others expressed outrage that Alodid was allowed to enter the UK by traveling 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 for people traveling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Police Chief Constable Jon Boutcher called Tuesday night’s riots “an act of self-harm” by those involved because of the damage to the community, and revealed he had asked for help from other police forces to prepare for more protests.
“This riot is an insult to the victim of this attack, an insult to the public who bravely came forward to save his life and the officers who rushed to the scene,” he said.
“If you have a niece, nephew, brother, sister or member of your local sports club, if you’ve seen them in trouble, stop them from leaving today. This has to stop. We can’t have a society that allows this to happen.”
The police have taken action against some of those who participated in the violence on Tuesday night, including a 39-year-old man who is accused of violence and a 42-year-old man who is accused of rioting, attempting to destroy a crime and assaulting a police officer.
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David Crowe is the Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email address.
