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On Monday, June 8th, in Belfast, a Sudanese man Hadi Alodid, legally in the United Kingdom as a refugee claimant, viciously attacked a local man Stephen Ogilvie with a knife. The intervention of others saved the victim’s life though he lost an eye in the attack
Within an hour, Tommy Robinson, a leader of the far right in the UK, shared a video of the incident on X, and his post got 6 million views. Shortly after, Elon Musk, the owner of X, chimed in, retweeting Robinson’s post and calling for repeated and loud protests.
A far-right group called the Ulster Youth Club, which has links to the racist international “Active Clubs”, mobilised to take advantage of the situation. Several nights of horrendous racist violence followed in which visible minorities were targeted and attacked. Nurses and other healthcare workers from Africa were beaten on their way to work. The homes of immigrants were burned.
It must be understood that this was not a spontaneous outburst of popular anger. Musk and Robinson fanned the flames. Far right activists moved quickly to profit from public shock about the knife attack. In Belfast, neo-fascists also have an ad hoc alliance with still existent Loyalist paramilitaries, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). These armed groups were formed in the 1960s to counteract the liberation struggle of Irish Republicans. In 1969, the Loyalists burned out hundreds of Irish nationalist families and during the 30 years of conflict in the North of Ireland, they were responsible for the murder of hundreds of civilians. They share a common hatred of “others” with the fascists groups and are willing to cooperate in certain actions. Along with avowed racists and Loyalists, some of the rioters were simply disaffected youth who were recruited as cannon fodder. Some youths were ferried to riots and told to participate to clear off drug debts they owed to paramilitaries.
The nights of racist violence that followed grabbed headlines. However, the cameras did not show popular mobilisation moving quickly to offer support to minorities and to denounce and stop the racist attacks. Community leaders and local Sinn Féin politicians and activists provided information, support, and shelter for victims. Young people were educated about the manipulation tactics of far-right groups and told not to be tempted to get involved. On Saturday, June 14th, 20,000 people filled the streets of downtown Belfast to say no to division and racism in a” Together Against Hate” rally.
While the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) did act to contain the racist mobs, popular mobilisation and community solidarity are the main factors that put a stop to the fascist actions in Belfast.
To get a first-hand account, I spoke with Sinn Féin’s John Finucane who is MP for North Belfast where much violence took place. John was a young boy when his father Pat, a human rights lawyer, was shot dead in front of him by Loyalist paramilitaries in collusion with British security forces.
Kevin Callahan (KC): There is speculation that the racist attacks were orchestrated to some extend form outside Belfast. Can you comment on that?
John Finucane (JF): Whilst we saw violence in Belfast, notably well away from the area which saw the attack take place, what is beyond dispute is that many individuals and organisations from outside Belfast, outside Ireland and in some cases from much further afield, immediately sought to exploit the horrific knife attack to spread misinformation, inflame tensions and sow division.
I witnessed that myself throughout the week. Inaccurate claims were circulated online, often by people with no connection to the local community and no concern for the victim or his family.
My Sinn Féin colleague and Mayor of Belfast Róis-Máire Donnelly was one of those targeted by those seeking to exploit the horrific knife attack in North Belfast, targeted by the likes of Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson while also receiving death threats from others.
Unfortunately, this is not unique to Belfast. We have seen similar attempts in other parts of the world where tragic events are weaponised by those seeking to advance political agendas rooted in fear, division and hostility.
The people who suffered most from this were ordinary families, local residents and communities who found themselves caught up in violence that had nothing whatsoever to do with securing justice for the victim, those who bravely intervened, or the local community.
KC: How did community leaders and local politicians respond to the racist violence to protect targeted communities and stop the violence?
JF: Many political leaders, community representatives, faith leaders and local activists worked responsibly throughout the week. They condemned both the original attack and the racist violence that followed, supported the PSNI and helped reassure frightened families and communities.
However, I do think there has been mixed messaging from some political leaders, particularly within unionism, not only in the immediate aftermath of last week’s attack but over a longer period of time.
Political leadership carries responsibility. There can be no room for ambiguity when it comes to racism, sectarianism, intimidation or criminality.
The First Minister Michelle O’Neill and I visited those communities in North Belfast to listen and support them. It was important that we listened to their fears and concerns and reassured them that their political representatives stood against the racism and hate of last week.
But anger at a crime should never become hostility towards entire communities
We have a duty to challenge misinformation, to deal in facts and to avoid creating an atmosphere where prejudice is normalised or where those prepared to engage in racist or sectarian violence feel emboldened.
The overwhelming majority of people want safe and peaceful communities. Political leaders should be reinforcing that message consistently and without qualification.
KC: What lessons can be learned from what happened in Belfast for other communities facing far right racist violence?
JF: One lesson is that communities must be careful not to allow horrific incidents to be exploited by those who want to spread fear, hatred and division.
The attack was appalling and people were right to be angry. But anger at a crime should never become hostility towards entire communities.
Another lesson is the importance of responding quickly with clear and united leadership. Communities need reassurance, facts need to be established quickly, and misinformation must be challenged before it takes hold.
Perhaps most importantly, we need to remember who suffers most when this happens. It is often ordinary families, workers, children and local residents who pay the price. We saw that in Belfast when people were driven from their homes and left fearing for their safety.
The answer to far-right violence is not silence or ambiguity. It is clear leadership, support for the rule of law, solidarity with those targeted and a refusal to allow division and hatred to define our communities.
Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/1u69p4x/a_white_supremacist_youth_group_helped/
Photo Credit: L’installation "For peace!" (slovaque “Za mier!”) est formée d’une suite de personnages lumineux, qui marchent, qui courent. Le slogan de l’œuvre est “For peace, for freedom, for art!” (Pour la paix, pour la liberté, pour l’art !). L’œuvre a été montrée lors de plusieurs festivals en l’Europe.
Source: Festival Geneva Lux 2025
Author: Sébastien Kottelat
