A protest is being organised in Portadown this evening (Tuesday) in response to a brutal knife attack in north Belfast which has sent “shockwaves” through communities across Northern Ireland.
Organisers say the demonstration will take place at the Northway Asda traffic lights in Portadown, with “all communities welcome – Catholic, Protestant” and others – and have stressed it is to be a peaceful, non‑sectarian event.
Those attending are being urged to ensure ambulances, fire and rescue vehicles, care workers and hospital staff are given free passage at all times. A message circulating locally states: “No sectarianism – if you hear it/see it, challenge it. This is for our children. Now is not the time. Be there if you care.”
The Loyalist Edgarstown Bonfire group, which says it did not organise the protest but “fully supports” it, has encouraged people from “all backgrounds and traditions” to attend.
In a statement, the group said communities had a right to “peacefully protest and voice concerns about safeguarding our communities, including concerns around unvetted immigration”, but added that its support was “not directed” at foreign nationals who had come “legally, worked hard… and become valued members of our communities”.
“Strong, safe communities are built when people stand together,” the statement continued. “We invite everyone who shares those goals to have their voice heard in a peaceful and respectful manner.”
The PSNI has said it is aware of calls for protest activity across Northern Ireland and has appealed for calm.
The planned protest follows a violent incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast around 10.30pm on Monday, in which a man suffered serious knife wounds in an attack that was filmed and widely shared online.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said on Tuesday that a man in his 30s, understood to be Sudanese, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody.
“The victim is in hospital with serious injuries to his eyes and slash-wound injuries to his back and face,” he said, praising “the bravery of those members of the public who ran before danger to intervene and help the injured man”.
ACC Henderson said officers arrived within minutes, detained the suspect and administered first aid before ambulance crews took over. Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation at this stage.
He said the “brutal nature of this attack” had caused revulsion and concern across Northern Ireland, but stressed that, while counter‑terrorism officials are involved in the assessment, “we have no information to suggest this was terrorist-related” at this time.
The senior officer urged the public to be cautious about sharing graphic footage of the incident online, warning it could add to the trauma of the victim’s family and potentially impact the investigation.
“I appeal for calm today,” he added. “Everyone in Northern Ireland will sadly remember the disorder which took place over the last two years. No one needs to see a repeat of this – this only causes damage to local communities and unfortunately young people often get caught up in this disorder.”
He said there would be an increased police presence across Northern Ireland “to help, support and reassure all our communities”.
Police have confirmed the victim sustained significant injuries to his eyes in the attack. The suspect had leave to remain in the UK and is understood to have travelled to Northern Ireland from Dublin.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We can confirm the individual is a Sudanese national with leave to remain in the UK until 2028. He entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year. The individual claims to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area.”
The case has ignited fresh political debate around immigration, asylum accommodation and public safety, with senior figures at Westminster and Stormont pressed for answers on what was known about the suspect before the incident.
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart told the House of Commons her thoughts were with the victim but said communities were “angry” and “demanding answers”.
She questioned whether the suspect had been known to authorities, how he entered the UK, how many others from the same country were currently being accommodated in Northern Ireland, and what measures were in place to prevent abuse of the immigration system, including via the land border with the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn described the video as “appalling” and said the public were “right to be angry” about what they had seen, but insisted it was vital that information provided to MPs was “thoroughly checked” first.
“Some of the questions… I will endeavour to come back to her on,” he said, adding that giving unverified information to Parliament would be irresponsible. “My thoughts are very much with the victim.”
At Stormont, DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said the video of the attack was “one of the most graphic and sickening” images people could imagine and that the “savagery of the attack is something that should never be witnessed on the streets of any civilised society”.
He said he was “appealing for calm” and insisted “violence is never the answer”, but demanded that the PSNI and Home Office “place all the facts… in the public domain” without delay.
Mr Buckley raised questions about the suspect’s immigration status and any previous criminal history, reflecting wider concerns he said had been raised “time and time again” by constituents who felt unsafe on the streets.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill described the incident as “horrific” and paid tribute to community members and police officers who intervened.
“I want to recognise the bravery of members of the local community and the PSNI who put their own safety at risk in an effort to stop this vicious attack,” she said.
She said she had been in regular contact with local representatives and the police, and would “continue to offer [her] full support to the local community,” emphasising the need for calm.
SDLP leader Claire Hanna said the incident was “profoundly shocking”, urging people not to share or watch the footage.
“Everybody who watches it will feel fear and revulsion. Of course, there will be those standing ready to exploit that fear, to incite and to divide,” she warned.
Ms Hanna said “no nationality or ethnicity has a monopoly on violence” and highlighted the “heroic intervention from bystanders who acted to prevent further harm”.
“Political leadership is about not leaning into people’s fears,” she added. “This is a time for calm, for political leadership and for thinking of the victim, his loved ones and the wider community.”
Aontú deputy leader Gemma Brolly said what had been reported internationally as an attempted beheading in north Belfast was “absolutely horrific” and that her thoughts were with the victim and his family.
She said it was “important to say one person doesn’t represent every migrant on this island”, but argued that authorities who placed the perpetrator here had a responsibility “to investigate and be transparent about what they knew about this man”.
Ms Brolly criticised what she described as a lack of transparency from both the Executive Office and the British Home Office about asylum accommodation in the North and called for “robust” checks and clear information for local communities.
“People have a right to know who comes to live alongside them… This is not anti‑migrant, it’s pro‑safety,” she said, while stressing that “plenty of migrants come here and make a great contribution to our home”.
The PSNI is continuing to appeal for information about the north Belfast attack.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have dash‑cam or CCTV footage from the Kinnaird Avenue area around 10.30pm on Monday, is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26.
Information can also be given online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
