Gransnet forums

News & politics

Belfast another appalling attack, we need to ask what is driving this.

(336 Posts)
Sago Tue 09-Jun-26 10:59:41

An atrocious attack last evening on the streets of Belfast.

Thank God for the local resident with a hurl who with help succeeded in beating the attacker away.

What is behind these attacks, what is driving men who have risked their lives to get to our shores to then behave in this way?

Is it culture, racism, MH or drugs?

I wish to understand what is happening.

Sago Wed 10-Jun-26 00:02:46

Wyllow3

*Glaxy I am suggesting that we have to understand all the strands involved on the events we are witnessing and I was alluding to one I do know about first hand, both the lady who came over after great violence and turned it to the good, and the patients who suffered from psychotic internalised racism.

They had turned the racism against themselves - others psychosis turn it outward. `it becomes just one of the factors we have to consider.

It never excuses violence, but if we fail to understand that particular strand we cannot deal with it. Just as the many examples of dreadful white violence that involve Mental Health issues have to be understood or we can never deal with them.

I think the O/P is just another whipping up of hatred and out come the anti immigration crew.

Because we have been given not just so many examples of events that had they had a racial element are headlines, and lead to riots because of the reporting,

But even reliable statistics showing that the % of this sort of violent crime is not higher amongst immigrants.

The Ministry of Justice does not record offences by immigration status.

nanna8 Wed 10-Jun-26 00:04:16

When we emigrated, many moons ago, we were told that if we broke the law we would be deported back to our country of birth. We accepted that, of course. Why doesn’t that apply here ?

twaddle Wed 10-Jun-26 00:26:40

nanna8

When we emigrated, many moons ago, we were told that if we broke the law we would be deported back to our country of birth. We accepted that, of course. Why doesn’t that apply here ?

Maybe it will. The case hasn't even come to trial.

Wyllow3 Wed 10-Jun-26 00:34:14

But I suspect it is related to sectarianism, which is why I posed the question.

Chestnut Wed 10-Jun-26 00:49:26

Casdon

The media has a lot to answer for I think, it’s not unreasonable to expect proportionality of reporting about stabbings. That poor woman who was killed at the hands of her abusive partner deserves as much attention as anybody else who dies, the method was the same.

Start a separate thread on that. It's not the same issue as an attempted beheading of a stranger on the street. You can discuss domestic murders, there are plenty of them to consider.

Maremia Wed 10-Jun-26 06:42:27

One man attempted the beheading in a street.
That man has been arrested and will face the consequences.
Meanwhile, a Pastor tells us that innocent black families, members of his church for almost 20 years, have been pulled from burning buildings, set alight by thugs, who did not witness the original assault, but have been stirred up by other malignant influences.

twaddle Wed 10-Jun-26 07:18:40

Wyllow3

But I suspect it is related to sectarianism, which is why I posed the question.

Most of the violence was in the Shankley Rd/Crumlin Rd area, which historically has been flashpoint area for sectarian violence. I know para-military groups still operate in NI, but no idea what the exact involvement was in the recent riot.

We have some NI posters, I think. Maybe they know more.

I know that Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson have been exhorting people to go to various meeting points round the country to protest. Robinson is currently in Moscow with Musk's father, so is organising the protests by remote control. He will, of course, claim he has nothing to do with the violence and destruction.

Jaxjacky Wed 10-Jun-26 08:07:16

Shankill Road * twaddle*

twaddle Wed 10-Jun-26 08:44:58

Jaxjacky

Shankill Road * twaddle*

Ooops! Sorry! I should have known that. blush

EVEOHA2602 Wed 10-Jun-26 09:06:03

My pleasure Maremia but I’m concerned that a post of mine (which details my lived experience in Liverpool) has been deleted by the moderators - who prefer posters who benefit from the digital echo chamber that some threads are becoming

foxie48 Wed 10-Jun-26 09:09:24

Nanna8 The Uk deports any asylum seeker found guilty of a crime and sentenced to a year or more. It is automatic.

I don't know why people commit dreadful acts of violence and I can't comment on this horrible attack in NI, however, I do know one thing. It is completely wrong for anyone to encourage rioting and disorder and utterly shameful to attack innocent people and burn them out of their homes. People who use violence and fear to make a political point are beyond contempt and every politician, regardless of party should show unity in denouncing this behaviour. Tommy Robinson and his band of thugs are an absolute disgrace and I hope anyone who attended his "Unite" marches will now see the vile man for what he is.

Sago Wed 10-Jun-26 09:33:36

I do not condone last nights rioting but it was inevitable sadly.

It’s so sad that the lovely warm people of Belfast couldn’t have come together for a peaceful protest.

This is a City where the barricades/interface gates are still in operation between 18.00 and 0.700 hours.
Tensions are still high and sadly this atrocity was an excuse for so many thugs to riot.

Fallingstar Wed 10-Jun-26 09:37:45

foxie48

Nanna8 The Uk deports any asylum seeker found guilty of a crime and sentenced to a year or more. It is automatic.

I don't know why people commit dreadful acts of violence and I can't comment on this horrible attack in NI, however, I do know one thing. It is completely wrong for anyone to encourage rioting and disorder and utterly shameful to attack innocent people and burn them out of their homes. People who use violence and fear to make a political point are beyond contempt and every politician, regardless of party should show unity in denouncing this behaviour. Tommy Robinson and his band of thugs are an absolute disgrace and I hope anyone who attended his "Unite" marches will now see the vile man for what he is.

Well said.
Excessive violence and criminality is not the answer to anything, violence begets violence and innocent people are the victims.
I feel sorry for the victim of the stabbing and his loved ones and also for families with children having to escape burning homes.
Nobody can condone this.

Oreo Wed 10-Jun-26 09:44:59

Galaxy

I don't think it is unreasonable for people to react to an attempted beheading committed by an asylum seeker. If we don't hear that reaction then we are storing up massive problems.
Anyway he was granted leave to remain by none other than Jenrick, if the dates are right.

I think this case will prove to be the tip of the iceberg and there could well be many similar cases to happen throughout the UK.
There has to be pushback but peaceful protest would be preferable.

Oreo Wed 10-Jun-26 09:46:57

Chestnut

Casdon

The media has a lot to answer for I think, it’s not unreasonable to expect proportionality of reporting about stabbings. That poor woman who was killed at the hands of her abusive partner deserves as much attention as anybody else who dies, the method was the same.

Start a separate thread on that. It's not the same issue as an attempted beheading of a stranger on the street. You can discuss domestic murders, there are plenty of them to consider.

Apples and pears isn’t it?

Oreo Wed 10-Jun-26 09:48:20

Galaxy

Oh there will be arrests I have no doubt, then there will be diversity is our strength, more united than divided, something about controlling social media, and it will work as well as the last time.

The usual story isn’t it?

Jane112 Wed 10-Jun-26 10:18:27

At no point did I say that, the violence of the attack on Monday night was appalling and the perpetrator has rightly been arrested and charged, what I am saying is that people who genuinely seek asylum from countries where they face persecution and death are being attacked in a country where they should be welcomed and protected, one violent man from such a country doesn't give the local people the go ahead to attack and murder innocent people because of where they are from. Also,violence against women and girls in NI by white NI men is rife and none of these groups take to the streets even when the women are brutally murdered despite claiming that they are protecting our women and children. The violence on the streets last night was orchestrated by paramilitaries who live off the poor and the vulnerable. A 2 month old baby has to be rescued from thugs trying to burn down their house purely because of the colour of their skin that is every bit as evil as Mondays night's attack.

ronib Wed 10-Jun-26 10:19:27

One positive aspect was the bravery of was it 2 or 3 passers by who intervened and probably saved a life. This deserves public recognition further down the line.
I hope that the victim doesn’t lose his sight and is given as much help as possible to recover from this extreme trauma.

StoneofDestiny Wed 10-Jun-26 10:29:49

Utterly outrageous that there are so many violent thugs and marauders willing and eager to come out of their homes to burn down their neighbours homes and put their lives at risk. These grotesque beings obviously have balaclavas and weapons sitting in their houses ready for the dog whistle from Tommy Ten Names and Musk to blow. There is no excuse for their behaviour and no justification for their total lack of morals. They clearly see themselves as ethnic cleansers just as the Nazis did - vile specimens of humanity.
In my wildest dreams I cannot imagine my brothers, husband, sons or neighbours setting off at night to burn out families, whatever they imagined had happened. These are truly sick people - and NOT immigrants. Our own home bred SICKOS.

TerriBull Wed 10-Jun-26 10:32:35

The reaction to this has been horrendous and completely unjustified by those going on the rampage in the aftermath, targeting people who appear to be of the same ethnicity as the perpetrator. Having said that, the crime itself is absolutely beyond appalling, similar to that of Lee Rigby. I hope the poor man survives his injuries and one wonders what on earth the assailant had going on in his mind. From what I'd read he only been living in the accommodation next to the victim for a week. The victim was described as a vulnerable person.

Turning to other awful crimes of course it stands to reason that they would overwhelmingly be committed by the indigenous population here who are the majority. Surely that would be the situation whatever the country. In this case, not knowing all the facts as to why the attacker was given leave to stay. The disquiet around a crime such as this, and another being reported in the news today, a 17 year old girl gang raped by 4 Afghans, is why foreign nationals disproportionately figure in crime statics of the most horrific type and why those men don't seem to be sufficiently vetted. We have enough home grown crime, particularly of the violent and sexual nature without importing more.

Maremia Wed 10-Jun-26 10:33:24

Strong point, Stone of Destiny.

Maremia Wed 10-Jun-26 10:34:34

Oreo, you mention 'pushback'.
Do you have a method in mind?

GrannyGravy13 Wed 10-Jun-26 10:38:09

TerriBull I agree.

We have enough of our own grown criminals, we really do not need any from other countries.

They come here for a safe refuge, why oh why do some go on to commit the most heinous crimes?

Maremia Wed 10-Jun-26 10:39:05

Just a point of information, the stick used to ward off the attacker was a hurling stick, used in the games of hurling and camogie, played locally.
Info from a newspaper account.

Maremia Wed 10-Jun-26 10:39:57

That's why some Posters are looking at 'reasons'.