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Edinburgh Anti-Muslim Attacks — 19-20 June 2026

Edinburgh Anti-Muslim Attacks — 19-20 June 2026

Date: Friday 19 June 2026 (evening)
Location: Edinburgh — Sighthill, Telford Road, Leith Walk
Suspect: 36-year-old white Scottish man (arrested)
Victims: 5 men injured
Investigation: Counter Terrorism Policing Scotland

Overview

A 36-year-old white Scottish man went on an apparent anti-Muslim rampage across Edinburgh on the evening of Friday 19 June 2026, leaving five men injured. The suspect — bare-chested and wielding a large weapon/knife — attacked victims in a "fast-moving sequence of events" across the west of the city and Leith before being detained by police at around 9:30pm.

Counter Terrorism Policing Scotland has taken over the investigation. The suspect reportedly made Islamophobic statements during or after the attack, claiming he was "protecting the country".

Timeline

Time Event
~20:50 First reports — two men injured near Broomhouse mosque, Sighthill area
~20:50–21:30 Suspect moves across west Edinburgh — vandalises petrol station on Telford Road, smashes taxi windows with hand axe
~21:30 Three more men attacked on Telford Road and Leith Walk
~21:30 Police detain suspect — Tasers deployed but not discharged
20 June Suspect remains in custody. Counter-terror investigation launched

Victims

Five men were injured:

Age Location Notes
22 Sighthill (near Broomhouse mosque) Taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
22 Sighthill (near Broomhouse mosque) Taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
24 Telford Road / Leith Walk Asian Deliveroo driver (per Mirror)
27 Telford Road / Leith Walk
39 Telford Road / Leith Walk

None of the injuries are life-threatening. Three required hospital treatment. Multiple victims are from the Muslim community (per MEND Scotland).

Police Statement

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said:

"This was a shocking attack and my first thoughts are with those who were injured and most directly affected. 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 a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together.

"Officers responded to multiple reports of a fast-moving sequence of events across Edinburgh before arresting a man and public safety was our priority.

"Extensive work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances. We are being supported by Counter Terrorism Policing and working under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service."

A Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) has been set up for public information.

Suspect

  • Age: 36
  • Ethnicity: White Scottish
  • Status: Charged (as of late Saturday 20 June). Remains in custody.
  • Name: Not yet released by police (as of 20 June evening)
  • Court appearance: Will appear in court after a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal
  • Charges: Charged "in connection with a number of incidents" — exact charges not yet specified. Police statement was deliberately vague. Specific offences expected to be detailed at court appearance.
  • Weapon: Large knife/bladed weapon; hand axe found at scene (petrol station)
  • Alleged statements: Video shows him on the ground shouting about "protecting the country" and making anti-Muslim slurs ("From these Muslim bastards raping our young daughters") while being held by police
  • Group affiliation: No confirmed links to any known far-right group at this stage (e.g. Britain First, SDL, National Action). Police examining his social media and online activity as part of the counter-terror investigation. MEND Scotland has called for it to be treated as "Islamophobic, far right terror".
  • Arrest: Detained by local police officers at ~9:30pm on Leith Walk. Tasers deployed but not discharged.

Political Response

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attacks on X:

"Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets. The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this – he will face the full force of the law. My thoughts are with those who are injured and I thank the police and the emergency services for their response."

Notably, no COBRA meeting was called — Starmer's response was limited to an X statement.

First Minister John Swinney (SNP) said he was "deeply concerned", adding: "There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country." He met community groups to assure them of government support.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) said the area is "a very diverse place. It's part of its strength for many, many decades and something we celebrate. And we're not going to let this or any other extremism divide us."

Notable silences: No public statements were issued by:

  • Rhun ap Iorwerth (Welsh First Minister)
  • Northern Ireland First Minister / deputy First Minister
  • Anas Sarwar (Scottish Labour leader)
  • Russell Findlay (Scottish Conservative leader)
  • Scottish Lib Dems / Scottish Greens
  • Church of Scotland / other faith leaders (beyond Muslim organisations)

Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher did issue a statement (published 20 June), correcting earlier reports of silence. She said:

"I was shocked and outraged to hear about the appalling incidents that took place across the city on Friday. I, and fellow Councillors, stand in solidarity with those affected by what must have been a deeply traumatic experience. My thoughts are with those injured in the attacks and I wish them a quick recovery. I want to pay tribute to Police Scotland and the emergency services for their swift response. Edinburgh is a diverse, welcoming city and we are proud of the many different backgrounds, cultures, faiths and walks of life that live here. Incidents like this remind us of the need to stand together against racism and prejudice."

This contrasts with the level of political engagement seen after the June 8 Belfast stabbing, where multiple UK-wide and devolved leaders issued statements.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton (Police Scotland): "There is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together."

Community & Muslim Organisation Responses

Muslim Council of Britain (MCB):

"This incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast that targeted minority families, and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities. The Muslim community is rightly nervous and worried. To our community: stay vigilant, look out for one another, and please report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police."

Scottish Association of Mosques (SAM): Omar Afzal, SAM director of public affairs, expressed "deep alarm", saying two of the injured men were attacked after attending prayers at their local mosque: "There is a profound sense of shock, alarm and anger within Muslim communities across Edinburgh and Scotland today. These latest attacks are deeply disturbing. However, they do not exist in a vacuum."

MEND Scotland: Called on police to treat the attack "as what the evidence indicates Islamophobic, far right terror".

British Muslim Trust: Posted on X condemning the attacks.

Reddit Reaction

The most engaged thread was on r/Scotland (179pts, 263 comments, up from 145/213 earlier). Dominant sentiment called out the disparity in how the attack was being covered compared to if the perpetrator had been Muslim:

u/Severe-Incident-6094 [141pts]: "Where are the 'Protect our women and children' brigade? Suspect not foreign enough?"

u/Dooby-Dooby-Doo [71pts]: "It's infuriating that it hasn't been designated a terrorist act. The lowlife persecuted violence and terror against those he thought looked foreign."

u/Low-Associate-8853 [39pts]: "If he had a foreign name, would be declared a terrorist attack and be all over national news."

u/Sensitive_Guest_5995 [24pts]: "Oh look it's more of that right wing violence they keep telling us doesn't happen."

u/No_Abies7581 [24pts]: "Just another white guy acting on the incitement from Nigel Farage to hurt brown people."

u/TheEndIsFingNigh [25pts]: "Nae cunt from Reform gonna chime in about protecting women and children, then start a massive riot? Thought not."

r/unitedkingdom (224pts, 225 comments, up from 118/167) — comments were heavily moderated with many deleted. Sentiment blamed far-right rhetoric and called for equal treatment.

r/news (460pts, up from 137) — comments noted the contrast with coverage of attacks by Muslim perpetrators and called out far-right networks.

r/worldnews (178pts, up from 71) — growing international interest.

r/BritishMuslims (6pts) — new thread highlighting media disparity: "The media are nowhere near covering these attacks as much as they did with the Golders."

New thread: r/Scotland "Man charged after series of attacks across Edinburgh" (48pts, 64cmts) — published 07:31, 21 June, discussing the charge update.

Notable absence: No significant pro-attack or right-wing defence of the suspect visible on Reddit's main UK threads — the comments were uniformly condemnatory of the attack and critical of perceived double standards in media coverage.

Social Media Reaction (Nitter / X)

Left / anti-racist reaction

@difficultthird [16:17, 20 Jun 2026]: "Racist terror attack in Edinburgh last night. Mass stabbing targeting Muslims/non-whites by racist spouting social media driven rhetoric. No COBRA meeting, no Prime Ministerial statement. Barely any media coverage. And we all know why."

@zarahussain999 [18:12, 20 Jun 2026]: "A British patriot targeted Muslims by stabbing them in Edinburgh, Scotland. 'I'm protecting the country from these f***ing Muslim bastards raping our young daughters.' 'Enough is Enough.' This is a terrorist attack and a national emergency. Islamophobia is a cancer which is getting worse."

@uk_islamophobia [16:10, 20 Jun 2026]: "Still waiting for the response to the Terror incident in Edinburgh yesterday. The monster said: 'I'm protecting the country.' 'From these Muslim bastards raping our young daughters.' It is on video. The audio is clear."

@MarxdeMorais [18:44, 20 Jun 2026]: "The Edinburgh suspect reportedly claimed he was 'protecting the country' and being a patriot. The victims, their families, and all those affected by this horrific attack deserve our thoughts and support."

Right-wing / adjacent reaction

No prominent far-right figures (e.g. Tommy Robinson, Britain First, Paul Golding) had publicly commented on the Edinburgh attack as of Saturday evening. This contrasts with their rapid response to the Belfast stabbing (by a Sudanese suspect) earlier in June, which sparked riots. The silence from the far-right on a white Scottish attacker targeting Muslims was noted by multiple commenters across Reddit and X.

Media Coverage Disparity

Multiple commenters across Reddit and X noted the difference in coverage between this attack and the Belfast stabbing (8 June 2026), where a Sudanese asylum seeker stabbed Stephen Ogilvie. The Belfast attack led to widespread riots, extensive media coverage, COBRA meetings, and a wave of far-right mobilisation. By contrast, this Edinburgh anti-Muslim attack by a white Scottish man received comparatively limited coverage, no COBRA meeting, and no Prime Ministerial statement — despite being designated a counter-terror investigation.

Far-right reaction: total silence

A search of far-right figures' X accounts as of Saturday evening found no public comments from:

  • Tommy Robinson — no mention of the Edinburgh attack. His account posted about other topics (Belfast, legal issues, Russia trip) but nothing on the anti-Muslim attacks
  • Britain First / Paul Golding — no tweets about Edinburgh. Golding's last Edinburgh-related post was from 2015
  • Nigel Farage — no comment
  • Elon Musk — no reposts or comments
  • Andrew Tate — silent
  • GB News / TalkTV — no notable coverage

Multiple X users called out the silence:

@George_T_Truth2: "White racist terrorist machete rampage in Edinburgh, and there's crickets from BBC, Sky, GB News, TalkTV... I'm sure Elon Musk, Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe and Tommy Robinson will be happy"

@MohammadAsif_1: "Just imagine if the suspect were Muslim, Black, or Brown. We would have a COBRA meeting. But because the suspect is not Muslim, Black, or Brown, everyone is quiet, including Nigel Farage, GB News, and Elon Musk."

@wired4autism: "Will there be call for protests over this from Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and others about these evil acts of violence?"

This stands in stark contrast to the Belfast stabbing (Sudanese suspect) on 8 June 2026, where Tommy Robinson shared a list of 70 protest sites within hours, Elon Musk amplified the content, and widespread far-right protests erupted across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

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