Police charge man after suspected anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says ‘the suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred’.Police in Scotland have charged a 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.Police said on Saturday that a 36-year-old 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”. Five men were wounded in the attacks.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.Police said they then received reports about incidents around retailers across the west and north of the city.The force said that during this period, three other men were allegedly attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk area.The victims, aged between 22 and 39, suffered various injuries, with three requiring hospital treatment for wounds not considered life-threatening, police said.Scotland" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="30102" data-entity-type="organization">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.The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks on as he speaks to the members of the media on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, in France, June 17, 2026 [File: Isabel Infantes/Pool via Reuters]“The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this – he will face full force of the law,” Starmer said.