Witness recounts 'horrific' Belfast knife attack as disorder flares on streets

Protests have broken out across Belfast after a man arrested on suspicion of carrying out a violent knife attack was charged with attempted murder. The 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill. He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The victim of the attack, a man aged in his 40s, remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday, receiving treatment for serious eye, face and back injuries. Despite repeated calls for calm from police commanders and political leaders, "sporadic pockets of disorder" broke out across Northern Ireland. Protesters set fire to a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast as disorder flared, while residents were also evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out on Lendrick Street. Protesters outside Highfield House Hotel unveiled signs reading “Enough Is Enough” and “Illegal Migration Is Destroying Our Civilisation”. Dozens of police officers have been deployed across the city to try to contain the protests. Speaking on Tuesday night, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said: “Sporadic pockets of disorder have broken out in a number of locations across Northern Ireland this evening, including incidents in which a number of vehicles have been set on fire. "We are urging everyone to remain calm, act responsibly, and avoid any activity that could place themselves or others at risk. Officers are on the ground, working alongside partner agencies, responding to incidents as they arise and helping to keep people safe. “We are again appealing for calm and ask all voices of influence within local communities to encourage peaceful protest and discourage any involvement in violence or disorder.” A spokesperson for Translink, which operates public transport services in Northern Ireland, said all bus and train services have been suspended for the rest of the night. There has been widespread condemnation of Monday night’s knife assault from all political sides. The prime minister said the attack was “sickening". “I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets," he said. Earlier, the leaders of the five largest parties at Stormont issued a joint statement in response to the attack. Sinn Féin vice president Ms O’Neill, DUP leader Gavin Robinson, Alliance Party leader Ms Long, UUP leader Jon Burrows and SDLP leader Claire Hanna said they were “united in our condemnation of the horrific incident in North Belfast last night”. Detectives have said there is no indication the attack was terror-related.