Man charged after anti-Muslim attacks injure five in Edinburgh

A 36-year-old man has been charged after a series of suspected anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh that left five men injured.

The attacks began near a mosque in the west of the city, where two men were injured. Police Scotland said the incidents took place on Friday and that a report had been submitted to Scotland's public prosecutor. The man will appear in court in due course.

Footage posted on social media appears to show a bare-chested man carrying a large weapon vandalising a petrol station and battering the door of a pizzeria on Leith Walk before police held him on the ground.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said there was "no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland." She described the events as a "shocking attack" and thanked officers for responding with bravery and professionalism.

MEND Scotland said several of the victims were from the Muslim community. None of the injuries was believed to be life-threatening. The injured men were aged 22, 22, 24, 27 and 39.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attacks, saying the suspect appeared to be motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred." First Minister John Swinney said he was "deeply concerned" and that there was "no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country."

Police were first called at about 20:50 and responded to a "fast-moving sequence of events." The BBC understands the two men injured near Broomhouse mosque were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Three other men were attacked on Telford Road and Leith Walk.

Videos posted online show the same man causing disorder at multiple locations. At a Shell petrol station on Telford Road, a taxi had its windows smashed. Broken glass and a hand axe were visible inside the vehicle. At a BP petrol station on Ferry Road, CCTV shows a man pushing shelves over inside the kiosk. At the Origano pizzeria on Leith Walk, staff closed the shutters as the man struck the door with the weapon.

Another video shows a man with a weapon approaching a car stopped at a junction. At the Your Move estate agent, paramedics treated a clothed man on the ground who had his arm in a sling. Officers equipped with Tasers confronted and detained the suspect but did not discharge the devices. He remains in custody.

In one video, the topless man on the ground can be heard swearing and shouting that he is "protecting the country."

The Muslim Council of Britain said the Muslim community is "rightly nervous and worried." A spokesperson said the incident came not long after racist attacks in Belfast and was a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities. The spokesperson urged people to stay vigilant and report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police.