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

(358 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.

Maremia Thu 11-Jun-26 15:10:33

Yes, as stated upthread, it actually is important to know and understand the 'why'.

ronib Thu 11-Jun-26 15:00:37

petra no not guilty by association but given the circumstances, I did wonder if there was some revenge motive behind the latest attack. Or was it random?

LemonJam Thu 11-Jun-26 14:14:02

Ogilvie typo- sorry

LemonJam Thu 11-Jun-26 14:12:54

petra

ronib

The Daily Mail reported that in 2001 the victim was very badly injured - set on fire - and he returned to Belfast from Scotland. Drug trafficking with 14 year prison sentences for one man. Odd.

So he’s guilty by association with a drug dealer of actually being a drug dealer.
I hope your never called for jury service

Guilt by association is dangerous assumption and speculation.

Various media outlets have reported on the 2001 incident in Scotland where Stephen Ogilvie was a victim of a violent attack. He was staying with a drug dealer who used the date rape drug on Ogilvie and went on to remove his clothes and set him on fire. The attack was captured on video and his attacker was subsequently jailed for 14 years. The perpetrator's criminal gang was associated with the Ultra Volunteer Force, a loyalist paramilitary force. Olgivie fled back to Ulster fearing for his life.

I have read reports that Olive has Learning Difficulties rendering him vulnerable. Drug gangs often target vulnerable individuals for a variety of nefarious reasons, cuckooing, county lines etc. I am aware of no evidence that Olgivie has any convictions for any drug offences merely that he was a victim of a violent attack by a drug dealer known to be a member of a prolific gang.

kircubbin2000 Thu 11-Jun-26 14:02:22

It's organised by anonymous paramilitaries who incite low life uneducated young people who have now started to treat it as recreation. This often happens in the run up to July 12 but had started early. My dil is afraid to go to work this morning as she would be a target.

MaizieD Thu 11-Jun-26 13:56:27

Casdon

It was on the news first thing MaizieD, I think at the time (I was in the car) it said there were sixteen arrests and a number of police injured.

One of the few times when I didn't go straight to the BBC this morning grin

Thank you ladies.

Silvershadow Thu 11-Jun-26 13:54:01

I need to clarify what I said. On the bbc news thread not watching the news programme.

Silvershadow Thu 11-Jun-26 13:53:14

You could well be right but I didn’t watch the news.

Casdon Thu 11-Jun-26 13:50:27

They definitely weren’t children when I was watching Silvershadow, you could tell by their size and girth. That was at about 10pm though, there were several hundred of them, maybe the children had gone home by then.

Silvershadow Thu 11-Jun-26 13:42:28

On the BBC it said they’re firing pretend bullets, water cannons and bringing in dogs plus police from Scotland. They’re throwing everything at it.

Also, on the same info thread it was stated it’s not an organised protest, mainly children last night according to a local councillor on the ground.

Maremia Thu 11-Jun-26 13:41:12

Tufton Street's propaganda output, no thanks. Didn't they push Liz Truss to the fore? Disaster.
(In response to a post upthread.)

Maremia Thu 11-Jun-26 13:39:11

One of the Police Officials was giving a comprehensive account of the response so far, saying that Officers from the mainland were being brought in to help.
His account was disrupted by the Breaking News about the resignation of the Defence Minister so we didn't get to hear it all.

petra Thu 11-Jun-26 13:36:42

ronib

The Daily Mail reported that in 2001 the victim was very badly injured - set on fire - and he returned to Belfast from Scotland. Drug trafficking with 14 year prison sentences for one man. Odd.

So he’s guilty by association with a drug dealer of actually being a drug dealer.
I hope your never called for jury service

Casdon Thu 11-Jun-26 13:35:16

The vigilante element amongst the protesters is what I found disturbing, I was watching the live cameras on Sky last night, and men dressed all in black, wearing balaclavas were setting fires, throwing bricks with no provocation, clearly aiming to cause as much trouble as they could, the police did a brilliant job stop it escalating again. I was left thinking that these were not ordinary locals, it was an organised protest with thugs just out to cause maximum disruption. I would have been very scared to be in their path, I hope they arrest and charge many more.

Silvershadow Thu 11-Jun-26 13:34:25

That’s the same all across the UK. Properties being bought up and divided into bedsits to accommodate more people. Guaranteed rent and if any damage occurs it’s put right at no cost to the owner. People are making a lot of money. For some, asylum seekers are big income.

petra Thu 11-Jun-26 13:23:52

Belfast has a severe housing/ renting shortage. And yes I’m more than aware that most cities do.
But listening to residents who were protesting it’s clear that a huge part of that anger is not directed at the colour of a man’s skin but the fact that a lot of empty properties and being bought up by the likes of SERCO to house migrants with a guaranteed income for 7 years.

Casdon Thu 11-Jun-26 13:23:49

Snap Jaxjacky!

Casdon Thu 11-Jun-26 13:23:18

It was on the news first thing MaizieD, I think at the time (I was in the car) it said there were sixteen arrests and a number of police injured.

Jaxjacky Thu 11-Jun-26 13:21:54

16 arrests, 12 police officers injured MaizieD BBC news.

MaizieD Thu 11-Jun-26 13:15:43

Seeing the headlines about last night's rioting in Belfast my DH commented that there has been no reporting of any arrests, even though what is happening is clearly arrestable behaviour. I had been thinking that too.

Why would this be? Fear of the perpetrators? Fear of provoking worse 'action'?

Silvershadow Thu 11-Jun-26 13:07:58

LtEve

GrannyGravy13

LtEve you do know the man laying in hospital was deaf and classed as vulnerable…

Many drug dealers are classed as vulnerable. It’s how they get sucked into that awful world.

I’m not sure what’s being said here. Both victim and perpetrator are drug dealers? And yet, it’s also being reported that the perp had only just moved into that apartment block a week ago, seven asylum seekers in the same block. How could they all be known to one another?

Tuliptree Thu 11-Jun-26 12:29:46

Criticising the fast track system is one thing, saying he was here illegally is simply not true.

Tuliptree Thu 11-Jun-26 12:28:28

Fast tracked or not, he was in NI legally. Facts matter.

Primrose53 Thu 11-Jun-26 12:10:11

Basgetti

Peaseblossom

At first it was thought he was a Somali but he's actually Sudanese. What an evil person. The poor victim has now lost his eye. He has sustained deep cuts to his head, face and back. While in hospital receiving treatment for a hand injury, the attacker told medical staff I will kill you! Just send him back! He's an illegal immigrant and shouldn't be here.

Whilst I agree that he ought to be deported when found guilty, the perpetrator is not an illegal immigrant. He was given leave to remain until 2028 in 2023.

Shockingly he was fast tracked and did not even have a face to face interview. He just filled in a questionnaire to claim asylum.

Basgetti Thu 11-Jun-26 11:28:30

Peaseblossom

At first it was thought he was a Somali but he's actually Sudanese. What an evil person. The poor victim has now lost his eye. He has sustained deep cuts to his head, face and back. While in hospital receiving treatment for a hand injury, the attacker told medical staff I will kill you! Just send him back! He's an illegal immigrant and shouldn't be here.

Whilst I agree that he ought to be deported when found guilty, the perpetrator is not an illegal immigrant. He was given leave to remain until 2028 in 2023.