Five men were injured in a series of suspected anti-Muslim attacks across Edinburgh on Friday night, as a bare-chested man wielding a weapon roamed the city. Police Scotland and counter-terrorism officers arrested a 36-year-old white man amid the ongoing investigation into hate crimes targeting the Muslim community.
Attacks Near Mosque
The assaults began near the Broomhouse mosque in west Edinburgh, where two men aged 22 were hurt and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Three additional men, aged 24, 27, and 39, were attacked elsewhere on Telford Road and Leith Walk.
Weapon-Wielding Rampage
Social media footage shows the suspect vandalising a taxi at a petrol station on Telford Road, smashing windows and leaving a hand axe visible inside the vehicle. Videos also capture the man causing chaos inside a BP petrol station on Ferry Road and repeatedly striking the doors of Origano pizzeria on Leith Walk before police intervened.
Police Response And Arrest
Officers responding to the fast-moving series of incidents subdued the man without deploying Tasers. CCTV footage shows a heavy police presence and a cordon around the Your Move estate agent, where paramedics treated one of the victims. Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton condemned the “shocking attack,” emphasising there is “no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland.
Community Reaction
The Muslim Council of Britain described the community as “rightly nervous and worried,” linking the attacks to recent racist violence in Belfast and divisive political rhetoric. MEND Scotland confirmed that several victims are from the Muslim community. Edinburgh North East MSP Ben Macpherson praised the area’s diversity and condemned attempts to divide the community, wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
Call For Information
Police have urged anyone with information about the incidents to come forward to help their investigation into these hate crimes.
