Over 150 arrests in riots in British cities
Even on the fifth consecutive day, the UK remains restless. Far-right groups are causing chaos in multiple cities, with a former refugee shelter being targeted. The police are also being targeted.
Protests by far-right groups following a fatal stabbing of children have escalated into violent riots in several UK cities over the weekend. According to police reports, over 150 people have been arrested nationwide since Saturday. Violent outbreaks have occurred in Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Bristol, and Belfast. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the incidents as "far-right hooliganism" and threatened legal consequences for the rioters.
The clashes have been ongoing for the fifth consecutive day. As seen in footage broadcast by the BBC, masked protesters in the midlands town of Rotherham smashed the windows of a hotel that previously housed asylum seekers. Locally, ten police officers were injured. North of Birmingham, a refugee shelter was also attacked, as reported by Sky News. Social media clips showed part of the building on fire.
In the northeastern city of Middlesbrough, hundreds of people gathered opposite the riot police. Some of them threw bricks, cans, and bottles at the police. In Aldershot, southwest of London, dozens of people gathered peacefully to protest against asylum seekers.
Bricks fly at the police
On Saturday, protests also took place in Liverpool, Hull, Leeds, and Belfast in Northern Ireland. In some cases, protesters threw bricks, bottles, and flares at the police, injuring several officers. Under anti-Islamic slogans, rioters looted and burned down shops. There were also clashes with participants in counter-protests.
The violence is in response to a stabbing incident in the coastal town of Southport near Liverpool, where three children were killed and eight others, along with two adults, were injured on the previous Monday. The suspect, a 17-year-old, entered a building where a children's dance class to the music of US star Taylor Swift was taking place.
The attack has shaken the UK. Speculations and misinformation about the suspect's background, whose family is reportedly from Rwanda, have been circulating online.
Far-right attacks mosque
Immediately after the incident, around a hundred far-right activists in Southport targeted a mosque, among other things. Later, riots broke out in other cities. After partly violent protests at the London residence of Prime Minister Starmer, many people were arrested. Hundreds of mosques in the UK have tightened their security measures.
The police blame followers of the so-called English Defence League, an anti-Islam organization founded 15 years ago with links to the hooligan scene, for the violence. Online media channels associated with the far-right promoted the rallies under the slogan "Enough is enough". At the events themselves, people waved the British and English flags and chanted slogans like "Stop the boats" - a reference to migrants crossing the English Channel to reach the UK.
In numerous cities, people organized anti-fascist counter-protests. In Leeds, demonstrators chanted slogans like "Nazi scum out of our streets" as they marched through the city. On Sunday, representatives of several religious communities in Liverpool issued a joint statement calling for calm and unity.
These are the worst riots in the UK since the 2011 protests following the fatal shooting of black family man Mark Duggan in north London. "We've had unrest and clashes like this before, but they've been confined to specific areas of the country," said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation for England and Wales to the BBC.
Starmer addresses the population
The British government said it would provide the police with "all necessary resources". The entire justice system is ready to "impose convictions as soon as possible," said Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood. The minister responsible for the police, Diana Johnson, said on Sunday to BBC News that the riots would "not be tolerated", but instead "punishments and consequences" would follow. The government will do everything necessary to bring the rioters to justice.
For Prime Minister Starmer, these riots represent the first political crisis just a month into his term - especially since his Labour Party was often criticized during the campaign for being too lenient on immigration issues.
On Sunday, Starmer addressed the nation. "I assure you, you will regret it if you participate in these riots. Whether you're directly involved or if you're stirring them up online and then running away," said Starmer. "There is no justification for this far-right hooliganism. The perpetrators will be brought to justice."
The opposition criticized the Labour government in the face of the protests. On the online platform X, the former Conservative Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote that the government risks being "overwhelmed by events rather than controlling them". The anti-immigration party Reform UK accused Labour of being "soft on criminals".
In light of the escalating violence, the police have increased their presence at refugee shelters to prevent any potential knife attacks. The tense atmosphere has led to fears of further knife attacks, as far-right groups continue to demonstrate in various cities.
