The Prime Minister says he will not tolerate such attacks after a man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Horror scenes in Belfast PHOTO: Video capture
Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in Belfast.
The suspect is in custody and the victim was in a serious condition in hospital following Monday night's attack, which caused a wave of shock and widespread condemnation, according to The Guardian.
Keir Starmer described the attack as horrific and revolting. “I absolutely do not tolerate such abominable scenes of violence on our streets. My thoughts go out to the victim first and thank you to the first responders, including members of the public who intervened.”
The attack took place at around 10.30pm on Monday outside a block of flats in north Belfast. A video shared on social media shows a man sitting on top of another man on the ground and punching him in the head and neck. The clip shows people stepping in to stop the assault, with one man using a baton against the attacker.
There appears to be no indication at this time that the attack was terrorist-motivated.
The police said that the arrested man is of Sudanese origin and is around 30 years old. Authorities initially said he was from Somalia. The victim, whose identity has not been released, is around 40 years old.
Assistant Commissioner Ryan Henderson said police had declared the incident a serious one and were investigating the motive. “This brutal attack sent shock waves through the community, causing real concern. I want to reassure the local community that we are treating this attack with the utmost seriousness.”
Henderson said officers were on the scene within minutes. “We would like to thank the citizens who worked to save the man from further attacks. Their willingness to step in to help another person demonstrates incredible courage and great community spirit.”
The police officer urged people not to share or repost images or videos of the assault. “This risks causing further trauma to the injured man's loved ones and may affect the ongoing investigation.”
Naomi Long, Stormont's justice minister, backed the call, saying the images were “deeply disturbing and traumatizing”.
John Finucane, Sinn Féin MP for Belfast North, visited the scene of the incident on Tuesday morning and described the attack as “appalling”.
In a post on social media, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said the authorities must immediately reveal the identity of the suspect and his immigration status.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has reportedly held emergency meetings to draw up plans on how to deal with possible unrest following the attack, after far-right figures online urged people to take to the streets wearing masks.
