Protests Erupt in Belfast Over Stabbing by Sudanese Refugee

Several protests erupted in Belfast this week over a knife attack by a Sudanese refugee on a local resident Monday night. Outlets on the left emphasized the impact of the protests and violence following the attack, while right-leaning outlets generally highlighted debates on immigration policy.

The Detail: A video circulated online Monday of 30-year-old Sudanese refugee, Hadi Alodid, attacking Irish local, Stephen Ogilvie, with a knife in what was described as an attempted beheading. Ogilvie was taken to the hospital with serious injuries to his eyes, face and back, according to police. Alodid has been charged with attempted murder. Following the attack, several protestors took to the streets and vandalized cars and burned buildings, including residential homes, which PBS (Lean Left bias) said were thought to be immigrant homes.

From the Left and Center: Outlets on the left and center described the protests as part of far-right anti-immigration sentiment. The Independent (Lean Left) interviewed locals, including members of minority groups, who were negatively impacted by the protests or who were evacuated from their home due to vandalism. The New York Times (Lean Left) described the protests as "hateful" and wrote, "The cycle of violence and right-wing agitation in Britain has become all too frightening and frequent." It emphasized calls for peace amid the protests, and argued, "when the attacker is an immigrant or person of color, a malign, distorted narrative often explodes onto the internet." Other outlets like Al Jazeera (Left Left) and Reuters (Center) quoted the UK minister calling the protests "racist thuggery."

From the Right: Some outlets on the right emphasized the attack as a reinvigoration of the debate over illegal immigration. Breitbart (Right) argued that President Trump was "right to suggest that there is a national security risk posed by open borders." Daily Wire (Right) wrote, "At first glance, riots in Belfast following an attack by a migrant might seem like Europe's problem. But the issues driving the unrest have become some of the most contentious political battles in the United States." It quoted Daily Wire employees who called the attack preventable and said, "This is the direct result of letting the third world into your country. This is policy failure."

For Context: Earlier in June, protests erupted in Britain after footage was released depicting 18-year-old Henry Nowak being attacked by Vickrum Digwa, a British-born Sikh, with a knife. Digwa was sentenced to life in prison after he attacked Nowak with a Sikh dagger in self-defense, ultimately killing him. Digwa asserted he was the victim of racial abuse, however the court found he'd lied to police officers.

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