Police Scotland has charged a 36-year-old man after a series of attacks in Edinburgh on Friday night that are being treated as potential anti-Muslim hate crimes, with five people injured.
Arrest and charges
The man, described as white Scottish, was arrested on Friday and charged late on Saturday night. The force stated: “A 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of incidents which took place in Edinburgh on Friday, 19 June, 2026. A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, and the individual will appear at court in due course.” Police confirmed there is no further threat to the public.
Details of the attacks
Officers were called to the Sighthill area at about 8.50pm on Friday, where two men were injured. They were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance. The Scottish Association of Mosques reported that two worshippers were attacked in a park after leaving the Broomhouse mosque. Further reports came in about incidents around shops in the west and north of the city. During this period, three other men were allegedly attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk area.
Police response
Around 9.30pm, police equipped with Tasers confronted the suspect. Although a Taser was not discharged, the man was detained. Social media posts appeared to show a shirtless man carrying a long weapon roaming a street and battering a restaurant door. Another video showed the same man on the ground shouting about “protecting the country” while held by a police officer.
Injuries and victims
Police said five men, two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27 and 39, sustained a range of injuries. Three required hospital treatment, though none of the injuries were life-threatening.
Political and community reaction
Keir Starmer posted 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.” Omar Afzal, director of public affairs for the Scottish Association of Mosques, told the Scotsman: “There is a profound sense of shock, alarm and anger within Muslim communities across Scotland today. These latest attacks are deeply disturbing. However, they do not exist in a vacuum. For years, Muslim communities have warned about the consequences of anti-Muslim hatred becoming normalised in public discourse.”
Official statements
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.” The anti-Islamophobia non-profit Muslim Engagement and Development urged police to “treat this as what the evidence indicates: Islamophobic, far-right terror”. Assistant chief constable Catriona Paton said: “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.”
Investigation ongoing
Police closed off Leith Walk on Friday evening as the incidents unfolded. A major incident public portal has been set up to encourage members of the public to submit information directly to officers. Counter-terrorism policing is supporting the investigation under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
