Key facts
- A 38-year-old man has been charged in connection with multiple suspected anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh.
- Five men were injured, four of whom required hospital treatment.
- The incidents involved alleged knife attacks, threats, robbery, and vandalism.
- Police Scotland's counter-terrorism unit is investigating.
- Witnesses described attacks on a taxi, an Uber bike courier, and a pizza takeaway.
- A rally was held to condemn the violence and reassure the community.
A 38-year-old man has been charged following a series of suspected anti-Muslim attacks across Edinburgh. The incidents, which began near a mosque in the west of the city and continued on Leith Walk, left five men injured, with four requiring hospital treatment. Witnesses described seeing a taxi and an Uber bike courier being targeted, with one witness detailing the assailant kicking a minicab, smashing its window, and assaulting a cyclist with a bladed weapon.
Police Scotland confirmed its counter-terrorism unit is involved in the investigation, which includes alleged threats, robbery, and vandalism. Footage on social media appeared to show the suspect shouting he was 'protecting the country' as he was detained by officers carrying stun guns. He allegedly threw the blade away before being arrested and did not resist.
In response to the attacks, about 100 local people, including politicians and activists, gathered for a rally on Leith Walk. Organisers expressed hope that the demonstration would reassure residents and prove the attack was an aberration in the area's diverse community. First Minister John Swinney condemned the alleged hate-based violence, stating that Scotland's values of tolerance and solidarity must be protected and that his government would lead in tackling division and prejudice.