UK officials’ worst fear about horrific near-beheading by African suspect: Racist backlash

An African migrant was arrested in Northern Ireland on Monday after allegedly attempting to behead a British national in Belfast. Locals incensed by the news of yet another savage crime committed on camera by a foreign suspect — this time a Sudanese national who entered Northern Ireland via the Republic of Ireland in 2023 — took to the streets in protest.

While there were initially peaceful demonstrations, things quickly went sideways.

'Politicians aren't listening.'

On Tuesday evening, multitudes of young men wearing masks and clad in black clashed with police, pelted migrant housing complexes with rocks, and torched several buildings and vehicles. There was "significant rioting" in the streets of Belfast again on Wednesday, where police liberally used nonlethal rounds and powerful water cannons — never before deployed in other parts of the U.K. — against protesters and made 16 arrests.

While some officials in the United Kingdom have acknowledged the unaddressed concerns and desperation underpinning the native population's recent violent outbursts, others appear more focused on how minorities might be feeling in this time of upheaval and "racist thuggery."

Hilary Benn, a member of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party and the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, expressed outrage during a press conference on Wednesday over recent criticism in parliament of "alien cultures" and the uncritical acceptance of refugees from Sudan, stating that "there's probably a surgeon from Sudan operating on someone somewhere in the United Kingdom as we stand here this morning saving somebody's life."

On Thursday, Benn further evidenced the chief focus of his concern, stating in an interview, "It is really important to convey the sense of fear that has been created, above all, for those who were intimidated, burned out of their houses by masked thugs, on the basis of their skin. But talking to those community organizations, everyone else in Northern Ireland who is an ethnic minority is thinking, 'Well, is someone going to come for me?'"

RELATED: African suspected of trying to cut white Briton's head off identified — while police fret about online critics

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

"There is no justification for the kind of violent thuggery that we have seen," Benn continued. "This is not the true face of Northern Ireland."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer similarly spoke out against the backlash with a vehemence not similarly present in his condemnation of 30-year-old Sudanese national Hadi Alodid's alleged blinding and near-beheading of Scottish national Stephen Ogilvie on Monday.

"There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere," Starmer wrote. "It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will feel the full force of the law."

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill also focused on the backlash rather than on the trigger, stating, "Racism, intimidation and violence are wrong wherever they occur. There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight."

While not necessarily justifying the backlash, some Britons have provided critical context for why violence may be regarded as some citizens' only recourse.

Ron McDowell, a Trade Unionist Voice councillor in Belfast, said, for instance, in a statement on Wednesday, "Politicians who say, 'don't engage in violence, trust me and vote for me' have completely failed the people because they simply haven't delivered and there is now a massive chasm between the public and the political class who design and deliver their communities. As often happens when politics fails in Northern Ireland, violence exploits the void."

"We are at a critical tipping point," McDowell continued. "The void between politicians and the public is widening by the hour, and we must step up with genuine, accountable action to address immigration before violence steps in irreversibly."

A Belfast local identified only as Chris told CBS News that locals are becoming less and less surprised by the kinds of attacks seen on Monday, alluding also to the response to 18-year-old British teen Henry Nowak's barbaric murder by a Sikh man in December.

Chris suggested that locals "just want a sensible immigration policy, and for the people here not to be put last."

"This is what causes this: Politicians aren't listening, and people just feel like they have to make a stand and be noticed," Chris added.

Among the many lawmakers who condemned the violent response to the latest apparent display of imported barbarism, Carla Lockhart, a Democratic Unionist Party member of parliament, echoed Chris' sentiment, stating that "politics and the government have failed local communities."

Lockhart — who stressed to Starmer on Wednesday the need to address the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — said, "People are angry and concerned for their safety. Therefore, they want the government to give answers around issues such as how many migrants, illegal migrants, have arrived in the U.K. via the Republic of Ireland land border. That, I believe, is one of the most important questions around all of this."

Chris Rose, a black environmental campaigner and Reform UK member, highlighted a difference in approach adopted in response to the Black Lives Matter riots and the riots in Belfast.

"I don't support rioting from anyone but when BLM did it, Labour said that MPs should speak to the black community and listen to the concerns," Rose wrote. "Following the scenes in Belfast, has any Labour MP mentioned speaking to white, working class communities to listen to their concerns?"

With the stated aim of restoring the status quo, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched the "Op Exposure" campaign — releasing images of protesters in order to "identify those responsible and bring them to justice."

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