NI political leaders appeal for calm as they unite to condemn "horrific" North Belfast knife attack

NI political leaders appeal for calm as they unite to condemn "horrific" North Belfast knife attack "We call for calm and for space to allow justice to take its course." 12:24, 09 Jun 2026 Kinnaird Avenue Scene Landscape The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main political parties have come together to issue a joint statement condemning last nights kife attack in North Belfast as the victim, a man aged in his 40s, remains in a critical condition in hospital. Michelle O'Neill , Gavin Robinson, Naomi Long , Jon Burrows and Claire Hanna called for calm and said that they are "united in condemnation" of the incident. A man, aged in his 30s who is believed to be from Somalia has been arrested and remains in custody. "There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality. Our immediate thoughts are with the victim and his family, and we hope he makes a full and complete recovery," they said. "Our thoughts are also with those eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as those brave members of the public who intervened. "We recognise the distress and fear this incident will cause within the local community. We urge people not to share the deeply disturbing images or videos, as their graphic nature would only serve to retraumatise those involved. "We support the Police Service of Northern Ireland in their ongoing investigation and urge anyone with information, or relevant footage, to assist them. It is essential that the facts are established through proper investigation and due process. "We are committed to ensuring that violence and hatred in any form will not be allowed to divide our communities. We call for calm and for space to allow justice to take its course." Secretary of State, Hilary Benn MP , said: "The attack last night in Belfast was deeply shocking and all our thoughts are with the victim, who is seriously injured in hospital, and with his loved ones. I would like to thank the individuals who showed extraordinary bravery in coming to his aid. Article continues below "This is a live PSNI investigation and I have spoken to the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. We all have a responsibility to urge calm while the police do their job, so that the perpetrator of this horrific attack faces the full force of the law." For all the latest updates on this developing story, follow our live blog here.