- London wants to crack down on right-wing riots
The British government intends to tackle the violent riots by far-right extremists in the country with tough law enforcement.
"I guarantee you, you will regret participating in these disturbances," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party, addressing rioters and online instigators. Those who participated in the violence will feel the full force of the law.
Today, he convened a meeting of the national Cobra crisis committee at the government's 10 Downing Street headquarters. Alongside the Prime Minister and various cabinet members, representatives of the police also attended.
In recent days, numerous police officers have been injured, vehicles set on fire, and buildings attacked during the disturbances in English and Northern Irish cities. Hundreds of rioters have been arrested, according to media reports.
Windows of hotels smashed and fires set
Over the weekend, two hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers were targeted. Hundreds of rioters gathered outside a hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire on Sunday, smashing windows and setting fires. A police spokesperson described it as a "particularly sickening moment when a rubbish bin was pushed against the hotel and set alight, clearly intended to cause significant harm to the residents and staff."
The police were attacked with projectiles. Similar scenes unfolded later that evening at a hotel in Tamworth near Birmingham.
Fatal attack on dance class used as pretext
Aside from hotels, rioters also targeted mosques. The Home Office announced plans to better protect places of worship from attacks.
The far-right rioters are using the fatal attack on a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport near Liverpool last Monday, in which three children were killed and several people seriously injured, as a pretext.
False information spread online
False information had previously been circulated online claiming that the suspected attacker was an asylum seeker with a Muslim name. The police denied this.
The suspect's name has since been released. He is a 17-year-old born in Britain, whose parents are from Rwanda. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Online instigators also to be held accountable
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also announced a tough stance against criminal behavior online. The organization of riots, fueling tensions, and spreading false information have been significantly aided by social media, the politician told Sky News.
"We also expect action against those who posted criminal material and will ensure that social media companies take responsibility," Cooper added.
The government spokesperson declined to comment on the activities of convicted far-right extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, who has been stirring up prejudices on social media in recent days. However, they did not rule out the possibility that state actors could be behind the spread of false information by bots online.
First test for new Prime Minister Starmer
For the newly appointed Prime Minister, who has been in office for only a month, the riots represent his first major test. Starmer appears well-equipped for the challenge, having served as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) when English cities were rocked by severe riots in August 2011.
Unlike today, the disturbances at the time were not right-wing extremist in nature. The trigger was fatal shots fired by the police at a man of Irish-Jamaican descent. The riots began in London and spread to other major cities.
At the time, the courts were in session 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to process the suspects in an assembly-line fashion. This is a possibility that is being considered again now, although no decision has been made yet, according to a government spokesperson.
There are no plans to deploy the military. The government rejected calls for such action, including from former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf. The government spokesperson said this demand was not discussed at the Cobra meeting, nor was the possibility of recalling MPs from their summer recess.
Criticism of the government came from former Home Secretary James Cleverly of the opposition Conservatives, who is currently vying for the succession of Tory party leader Rishi Sunak after his election defeat four weeks ago. Cleverly told Sky News that the Cobra meeting was convened too late. He stressed that the rioters did not represent the country, which is open and tolerant.
Right-wing populist and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage also condemned the violence in a statement, after previously expressing sympathy for the rioters' grievances in a video.
The Prime Minister's address to the rioters and online instigators was a strong message that the weekend's disturbances would not be tolerated. Despite the tense situation, there were no plans to deploy the military to control the riots.
