Police in Northern Ireland appealed for calm after arresting a Sudanese man on June 9 over a knife attack that left one person in a serious condition and prompted calls online for protest.

The incident, which is currently not being treated as terrorism, comes at a time of heightened tensions in Britain following the murder of a student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer, a Sikh man, falsely alleged a racist attack.

It also follows repeated protests about immigration, with populist parties saying Britain's asylum policy had allowed dangerous men into the country. Northern Ireland saw anti-immigrant rioting last year amid anger over an alleged sexual assault (7414-NIRELAND-STABBING/SCENE-UNRESTRICTED)

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (PA MEDIA -Access all)

14. CARS AND HOMES ON FIRE IN STREET

15. POLICE VAN ARRIVES / POLICE EXIT VAN / PEOPLE WATCHING

16. FIRES BURNING / FIREFIGHTERS RUNNING WITH HOSE / PEOPLE BEING EVACUATED INTO POLICE VAN

17. CARS AND HOUSES ON FIRE

Protesters in Belfast set a bus on fire on June 9 after police charged a Sudanese man over a knife attack that left one person with serious neck and head wounds.

Footage shows masked youths gathered around the bus as it was set on fire. (7451-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-BUS)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (PA MEDIA – Access all)

18. MASKED PROTESTERS GATHERED AROUND BUS ON FIRE

19. BUS BURNING / PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING ABOVE

20. VARIOUS OF BUS BURNING

21. PEOPLE GATHERED AT PROTEST

Firefighters sprayed water on burned-out vehicles in Belfast on June 9 as unrest continued following a knife attack that left one man seriously injured. (7460-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-CARS)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (REUTERS -Access all)

22. SMOKING CAR

23. FIREFIGHTERS DOSING SMOKING CARS WITH WATER

24. SMOKE BILLOWING FROM BURNED CARS

25. FIRE TRUCK AT THE SCENE

(7459-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-BUS-FIREFIGHTERS)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (PA MEDIA – Access all)

26. BELFAST FIREFIGHTERS PREPARING TO EXTINGUISH BUS SET ON FIRE BY IMMIGRATION PROTESTERS

27. FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER OVER BURNING BUS

28. FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER OVER BUS AS EXPLOSION IS HEARD / LARGE PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING ABOVE AS OTHERS FIREFIGHTERS WALK PAST

(7467-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-BURNING CARS)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (REUTERS -Access all)

29. VARIOUS OF CAR IN FLAMES ON ROADSIDE

30. REMAINS OF CHARRED CAR IN FLAMES

31. BURNING CAR UNDER RAIN

Belfast residents took stock of damage on June 10 after homes and cars were burnt out in a night of violence on June 9. (7611-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-MORNING)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 10, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

32. BURNT OUT CARS ON STREET, PEOPLE WALKING

33. VARIOUS OF BURNT HOUSE

34. DEBRIS

35. BROKEN WINDOW

36. BURNT OUT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF BURNT HOUSE, DEBRIS ON ROAD

37. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESIDENT WHOSE HOUSE WAS BURNT, JAMIE COREY, 33, SAYING:

"It’s people that’s angry, lashing out. You understand, you know what I mean, one of our own people has basically been butchered in the middle of the street. Like, when have you ever heard in Northern Ireland someone trying to get beheaded? Do you know what I mean? You never hear that you hear of shootings, you hear of beatings, you hear of car accidents, you hear of burglaries, you never hear of someone getting beheaded basically in broad daylight."

38. BURNT OUT VEHICLE

39. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BELFAST RESIDENT ORIGINALLY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO WHO HAS BEEN IN THE COUNTRY SINCE 2013, ANSELME SHIMA, 48, SAYING:

"There are people who are not from Northern Ireland. And as myself living here, I'm afraid maybe I might be the next to be attacked on the street. So I don't know where to take my family, my children, who is 9 years old, who is asking me every question that crosses his mind. And I don't know how to answer him."

Northern Irish authorities on June 10 condemned rioters after a night of anti-immigrant violence in Belfast, in which families were burned out of their homes and vehicles were set alight. (7594-NIRELAND-STABBING/BELFAST-UPDATE)

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 10, 2026) (BBC - No use UK)

40. POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND (PSNI) CHIEF CONSTABLE JON BOUTCHER AND UK SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND HILARY BENN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE

41. WHITE FLASH

42. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND (PSNI) CHIEF CONSTABLE JON BOUTCHER SAYING:

"Last night was an act of self-harm by the people involved against the incredible communities in Northern Ireland. What we saw last night was an insult. It was an insult to the victim of the terrible attack that many of you would have watched online, and that led to these disturbances. It was an insult to the members of the public who stepped forward courageously to stop that attack."

Around 40 far-right supporters gathered in central London on June 9, chanting anti-immigration slogans, following a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured. (7442-NIRELAND-STABBING/LONDON-PROTEST)

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

43. FAR-RIGHT PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): “Send them home!”

44. PROTESTERS KNEELING

45. PROTESTERS HOLDING FLAG

46. PROTESTERS LIFTING BANNER READING “ACAB” (Editors note: All Cops Are Bastards)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for calm and a restoration of order on June 10, telling parliament that acts of violence and arson which followed a knife attack in north Belfast were totally unjustified. (7593-NIRELAND-STABBING/STARMER)

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 10, 2026) (PARLIAMENT TV - News and current affairs use only, cannot be used for light entertainment or satirical purposes, party political broadcast usage must be cleared with PBU)

47. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN’S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING

"This morning I spoke with the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, and the Chief Constable. And the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is meeting leaders in Belfast today. We are united in calling for calm and determined to restore order, support the police, and all those on the front line and ensure that justice is done."

48. STARMER SPEAKING

49. PARLIAMENT SESSION UNDERWAY