Belfast Fights Racism
Thousands Rally in Belfast Against Racism After Knife Attack and City Unrest
Key Points
PSNI said it arrested 23 people over the unrest, with 17 of those arrests resulting in charges to be brought before court.
Elaine Crory (Women’s Resource & Development Agency) argued racism is being “rekindled” by everyday events and said, “the root cause of the problem” is not being tackled; she added that police had arrested “fewer people than were officially made homeless.”
NIPSA deputy general secretary Patrick Mulholland delivered a message to protesters, saying: “Do not let yourself be lied to. Everywhere, we are the majority.”
Although the counter-protest turnout was small (about 20 people), reporting identified individuals in the small area behind the stage, including loyalist killer Glen Kane and UVF bank robber Mark Sinclair—who uses the nickname “Freedom Dad” online.
Newlyweds who married at City Hall—Cara Bell and Matthew Richardson—said they joined the rally immediately; Richardson said they “kind of knew that there would likely be a protest on the wedding day,” while Bell called the unrest “really awful to witness” and argued it “is not the general feeling of people in Belfast.”
Thousands of people packed Belfast City Hall on Saturday to demand an end to racist violence, days after a knife attack left Stephen Ogilvie blind in one eye and triggered nights of anti-immigrant rioting across the city. upday News estimated around 3,000 people attended the "Together Against Hate" rally, organized by Unite Against Racism.
The rally came after the PSNI made 23 arrests tied to the disorder, with 17 people charged and set to appear in court. Twelve police officers were injured during the worst of the rioting. The week of violence also left more than two dozen residents homeless after arsonists targeted their homes.
A City Erupts After Viral Stabbing Footage
The unrest began on June 8 when Ogilvie was attacked in north Belfast, losing his left eye and suffering deep cuts to his head, face, and back. Video of the attack spread rapidly on social media. Within 24 hours, masked mobs were torching vehicles and homes belonging to ethnic minorities across the city, Newsday reported.
The Sham Supermarket — already burned down in 2024 riots — was destroyed by fire again. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, appeared in Belfast Magistrates' Court on June 10 charged with attempted murder. Despite the Ogilvie family publicly pleading for the attack not to be used to fuel "hostility or division," the violence continued for days.
Speakers Blast State for Failing Riot Victims
Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly urged the crowd to stand in solidarity with refugees. SDLP leader Matthew O'Toole said he could have "cried with anger, fear, and frustration" earlier in the week but felt "joy at this demonstration of anti-racism," according to Perspective Media.
Elaine Crory of the Women's Resource and Development Agency said racism is being "rekindled" every time a person who is not white commits a crime. She pointed out that police had arrested "fewer people than were officially made homeless" by the riots — a sharp criticism of the state's response. NIPSA deputy general secretary Patrick Mulholland told the crowd: "Do not let yourself be lied to. Everywhere, we are the majority."
Counter-Protest Draws Only 20 — Including Loyalist Figures
An anti-immigration presence was advertised online using AI-generated posters. But when the day came, only about 20 people showed up behind the main stage, ca.news.yahoo.com reported. The turnout was a fraction of the anti-racism crowd.
Among those 20 were two notable figures. Glen Kane, convicted of a loyalist sectarian killing in 1993, was identified at the scene. So was Mark Sinclair — a former UVF bank robber who goes by "Freedom Dad" online. Their presence pointed to ties between old paramilitary networks and new anti-immigrant movements, according to The Irish Times.
Newlyweds Join Rally — and a City Finds Its Voice
The scale of the rally struck many as a powerful rebuttal to a week of hate. Among those who joined were newlyweds Cara Bell and Matthew Richardson, who had just married at City Hall minutes before. Richardson told Belfast Telegraph they "kind of knew that there would likely be a protest on the wedding day."
Bell called the week's unrest "really awful to witness" but said it "is not the general feeling of people in Belfast." Groups like the Anaka Women's Collective drew recognition at the rally for helping evacuate and rehouse families displaced by the riots — some of the mutual aid work that speakers said showed the city's real character.
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