Hundreds of anti-immigrant protesters took to the streets of Belfast on Tuesday, with some setting vehicles alight, after police charged a Sudanese man over a knife attack that left one person with serious neck and head wounds.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack, which took place in north Belfast late on Monday evening, as “sickening.” Video of it was shared widely on social media.

His office said “it is time for calm,” adding that “it’s important that police have the time and space to investigate appropriately.”

The knife attack, which is currently not being treated as terrorism, comes at a time of heightened tensions in Britain following the murder of a student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds after his killer, a Sikh man, falsely alleged a racist attack.

It also follows repeated protests about immigration, with populist parties saying Britain’s asylum policy had allowed dangerous men into the country. There was anti-immigrant rioting in Northern Ireland last year amid anger over an alleged sexual assault.

Masked youths gathered at points across the city, with police responding by deploying armored vehicles. Protesters set fire to a number of vehicles, including a bus in east Belfast.

The BBC reported that a crowd of 100 men kicked in doors and broke windows of homes on a street in east Belfast. Sky News showed footage of a house on fire.

A few dozen protesters blocked Parliament Square in London.

“I understand that last night’s attempted murder will leave people feeling a range of emotions, from fear to anger,” Northern Ireland’s Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, who has declared it a “critical incident,” told a press conference.

“I........

© The Times of Israel