Counter-terrorism officers in Scotland are investigating multiple violent attacks in Edinburgh that left five men injured in what are believed to be anti-Muslim hate crimes, police said on Saturday. A 36-year-old white Scottish man has been arrested, and authorities have assured the public there is no further threat.
Attacks and Arrest
Police Scotland received several emergency calls late Friday reporting violent attacks across Edinburgh, including threats, robbery, and vandalism. Five men were injured: two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27, and 39. Three required hospital treatment, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, according to police. Footage circulating online showed a bare-chested man, allegedly the suspect, roaming the streets with a large weapon.
Investigation and Response
"Counter Terrorism Policing Scotland is investigating, supported by other specialist colleagues and local policing officers," police said in a statement. Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said he was "deeply concerned" by the incidents, adding, "There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country."
Victims and Community Reaction
The Scottish Association of Mosques and the anti-Islamophobia non-profit Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) confirmed that several victims were Muslims. MEND noted that the alleged footage showed the arrested man shouting about "protecting the country" from Muslims, using expletive-laden language. MEND urged police to "treat this as what the evidence indicates: Islamophobic, far-right terror."
Broader Context
The attacks come amid heightened tensions across the UK over immigration and diversity, with claims that far-right agitators are fuelling racist sentiment. Belfast saw two nights of serious disorder last week after a knife attack allegedly by a Sudanese refugee went viral. Violent skirmishes also occurred in Southampton over the murder of a white student by a British Sikh man.
