Violent anti-immigration riots rocked Belfast and spread to Scotland following a June 8 stabbing allegedly carried out by a Sudanese man. Rioters set fire to homes, businesses, and vehicles—targeting residences believed to house immigrants—leaving 27 people homeless, including Ugandan healthcare workers, a Ukrainian family, and a Romani family. Police deployed water cannons and over 300 officers, including 90 reinforcements from Scotland, to contain the unrest over three nights.
Twelve officers were injured in a single night, 19 people were arrested in total, and schools, businesses, and train services shut down across Belfast. Far-right figures—including Elon Musk—amplified anti-immigration messages online, while investigators found that a neo-Nazi network called Active Clubs played a role in organizing the masked violence. Demonstrators chanted anti-immigrant slogans and went door-to-door seeking out immigrant residents.
By June 11, UK authorities reported the disorder had substantially diminished. The family of stabbing victim Stephen Ogilvie, who remained in a coma, urged the public not to let the tragedy "divide people or fuel hostility," noting that migrant workers make a "deeply valuable contribution" to British society.