Farage Says Belfast Attack Suspect Should Not Have Been In UK As Riots Continue After Alleged Beheading Attempt

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage condemned violence by “bad actors” but said most Belfast protesters are fearful residents demanding action on migrant crime and government failures.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the Sudanese national accused in an alleged attempted beheading in Belfast should not have been in the United Kingdom, arguing that most protesters who took to the streets afterward are not extremists but frightened residents demanding government action on migrant crime.

Farage’s remarks came after violent unrest spread through parts of Belfast following an attack in Northern Ireland that left the victim seriously injured and led to charges against 30-year-old Hadi Alodid. The case has fueled protests against migrant violence, some of which have escalated into riots for multiple nights.

Farage condemned those who used the protests as cover for disorder but said the broader public anger reflects legitimate concerns that the government continues to ignore.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this man should not have been in this country. It is just as simple as that. He entered the country illegally and is it any surprise that people in Belfast and elsewhere are scared,” Farage said.

“None of that justifies what was perpetrated by some bad actors last night. There’s no doubt about that, there were some very bad actors doing bad things. But the vast majority of those people who were out on the streets in Belfast last night were not far right, were not extremists, just really scared about what’s going on in their communities and about the lack of government action. There’s none,” he said.

Farage also criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the government remains in denial about policing and public concern over immigration-related crime.

“Have you heard a single proposal for how any of this is going to change? In fact if we go back to the Novak case this week the Prime Minister is still in denial about two-tier policing in this country but yet you can see it written down on paper in the instructions that are given to police officers,” Farage said.

He said Westminster and legacy media outlets are “incredibly disconnected” from what he described as the “common sense centre of gravity” in the country. Farage said the unrest is being driven by a sense that the government is failing to address public safety concerns and that similar disturbances may continue unless officials give people confidence that change is coming.

“Things will continue to kick off, and I’m very open about the fact some very bad actors get involved in this stuff, but not the vast majority. The vast majority are fearful. The vast majority want action, they actually want something done to make their streets safer, and nothing is being proposed. It wasn’t by the last government, it isn’t by this government,” Farage said.

“I think the worry is over the course of the summer — and it seems that not even a week that goes by now where we don’t read of some horrific mass sexual assault, or something like that has been committed by someone who just shouldn’t be in Britain — the fear is this stuff gets worse. Unless you give people hope, this stuff will get worse,” he added.

Belfast saw a second night of rioting Wednesday as tensions remained high after the alleged attempted beheading. Police deployed water cannon and brought in hundreds of additional officers, saying they would maintain a “significant” presence on Thursday evening.

Violence was reported in several areas, including Newtownabbey, where masked men clashed with Police Service of Northern Ireland officers. A lorry believed to be a municipal “gully emptier” used to clean street drainage systems was set on fire.

A car was also burned on Antrim Road, and fires were lit at Sandyknowes roundabout, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

Police used a water cannon nearby to push back a crowd attempting to break into a Newtownabbey hotel, reportedly amid rumors that migrants were being housed there. Officers were also targeted with bricks and other makeshift missiles.

Another residential property was attacked Wednesday in the York Park area of north Belfast. The incident came amid reports that a “hit list” of homes and other targets was being circulated on social media. Homes believed to house migrants were also reportedly attacked Tuesday.

The PSNI said in a statement that sharing addresses online is “totally unacceptable” and may be criminal.

“We have received phone calls from a number of families, house owners, neighbours and members of the wider community who are extremely distressed as a result of this reckless activity. This is unacceptable. It is putting lives at risk and has to stop,” the police force said.

“Anyone who shares personal information online with the intention to endanger others may be committing a criminal offence. Any person who publishes or distributes material which is threatening or abusive may also be committing an offence. We will be investigating any such posts which come to our attention,” the PSNI added.

Belfast Legislative Assembly Member Kate Nicholl said she had spoken with police and urged residents to check on their neighbors.

“I have spoken to PSNI, who will be actively patrolling areas and have spoken to several people in these addresses. People of all ethnicities [are] feeling unsettled right now, check in on your neighbours [and] keep safe,” Nicholl said.

Starmer has vowed to “crack down on anyone who is fuelling this division,” saying “there is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere.”

Critics of the government response have argued that officials are focusing heavily on social media commentary while avoiding deeper public concerns about the stabbing, immigration policy and reports that the suspect had been allowed to remain in the country after entering illegally.

The unrest has placed Belfast at the center of a wider British debate over immigration enforcement, migrant crime, policing and whether the government can restore public confidence before tensions escalate further.