Racist riots break out across United Kingdom

https://p. dw. com/p/5FER1 Protesters set vehicles on fire in Belfast Image: PA/AP Photo/picture alliance As anti-immigrant protests escalated, chaos descended on the Northern Irish capital Belfast on Monday and Tuesday evening. There was mob violence on the streets along with burning trashcans and thick plumes of smoke. The riots spread across entire neighborhoods, and a massive police deployment attempted to keep the riots under control. But marches and riots broke out in other cities across the United Kingdom. According to media reports, people were specifically targeted and attacked because of the color of their skin.  The unrest was ostensibly sparked by a video of a knife attack that went viral on social media. The video shows a man repeatedly stabbing another who is lying on the ground. The victim was taken to hospital, where he remains with serious wounds. The perpetrator was arrested at the scene and has been charged with attempted murder. The 44-year-old victim is an Irish man. The 30-year-old suspect is a Sudanese man. Police secured the area after a stabbing incident on Monday Image: Peter Morrison/AP Photo/picture alliance Racism stoked on social media platforms First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence and said that those responsible would be held to account. They also criticized people stoking racism and xenophobia on social media platforms. The riots come at a time when various posts on platforms such as X and Telegram have helped to fuel an already tense and aggressive atmosphere. For example, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right extremist who goes , and has been convicted multiple times, had called for mass protests across the UK. X CEO Elon Musk retweeted his post. Other far-right extremists, particularly in the UK and the US, have called repeatedly for marches to protest against British immigration policy. Reminiscent of summer 2024 riots The violence in Belfast is reminiscent of the summer of 2024, when racist riots broke out across the UK after three girls died in a mass stabbing incident in the British coastal town of Southport. Disinformation about the suspect was spread by far-right extremists, including Robinso, in order to systematically stoke racist violence online. Violent protests erupt over Belfast stabbing To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Racism rife across United Kingdom According to observers, the most violent riots this week took place in parts of Belfast which are home to largely Protestant working-class communities that are traditional unionist strongholds.