Thousands rally in Belfast to condemn anti-immigrant rioting that followed stabbing

Article excerpt

Thousands marched through Belfast on Saturday to condemn the anti-immigrant riots that erupted earlier in the week, when crowds set fires to homes and vehicles following a stabbing attributed to an asylum seeker. The counter-demonstration represented a stark rejection of the violence that had gripped the city, with residents mobilizing to distance themselves from the rioters' actions. The stabbing, blamed on someone seeking asylum, had triggered days of unrest before the larger show of solidarity with vulnerable immigrant communities.