Suspected anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh injure five men

A topless man seen driving erratically through Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a Black man and a delivery rider has become central to a wider investigation into suspected anti-Muslim violence that left five men injured. Police Scotland said the incidents, which unfolded across the city on Friday, 19 June 2026, involved threats, robbery and vandalism and prompted counter-terrorism officers to join the inquiry.

The first emergency call came at about 8.50pm in Sighthill, where two men were hurt and taken to hospital by ambulance. Police later linked further attacks to Telford Road, Leith Walk and Broomhouse, with one statement saying a number of individuals were assaulted across different parts of the city, including Leith, Broomhouse and Telford Road. A 36-year-old white Scottish man was detained around 9.30pm and later charged.

Two of the injured men were reportedly attacked after attending prayers at Broomhouse mosque about half an hour earlier, deepening fears that the assaults were aimed at Muslims and places associated with the faith. The Scottish Association of Mosques said the attacks were part of an alarming pattern of hostility and violence directed towards Muslims, mosques and Islamic institutions across Scotland.

The five victims were two men aged 22, and others aged 24, 27 and 39. Three required hospital treatment, but police said none of the injuries were life-threatening. Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said there was “no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland,” while officers said there was no further threat to the public.

The political response was swift. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the suspect appeared to have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was horrified and said there is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims. The case now stands as more than a policing matter: it is a test of how seriously authorities treat suspected hate-fuelled violence when it spills from one street into multiple neighbourhoods, and how quickly they can reassure Muslim and minority communities that they are being protected.