Police in Scotland have charged a 36-year-old man in connection with a series of attacks in Edinburgh that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said appeared to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. Five men were wounded in the attacks on Friday evening.
Police said on Saturday that the suspect, a Scottish man, had been arrested on Friday and “charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, 19 June, 2026”. The victims, aged between 22 and 39, suffered various injuries, with three requiring hospital treatment for wounds not considered life-threatening.
Footage posted online showed a bare-chested man roaming the streets of Edinburgh with a large weapon, while another clip seems to show a man battering the door of a pizzeria. Another video appeared to show a shirtless man on the ground shouting that he is “protecting the country” as he is held by an officer.
Police were called on Friday evening to a report of an incident in the Sighthill area of the city, where two men were injured. They then received reports about incidents across retailers in the west and north of the city, with three other men allegedly attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk area.
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said it was a “shocking” incident. “I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland, which is at its best when we stand together,” she said.
Starmer said: “The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this – he will face full force of the law.” Scottish First Minister John Swinney also condemned the violence, saying: “There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country.”
The Scottish Association of Mosques said two of the victims were attacked after prayers, while the Muslim Council of Britain said the community was “rightly anxious” and criticised “political rhetoric that demonises an entire community”. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “horrified by news of the attack” and stressed that “there is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims”.
Source: www.aljazeera.com