Radical right-wing riots in Britain: prison for hate speech
The court found it proven that the convicted wrote the posts to incite people to attack a hotel in Leeds that housed asylum seekers and refugees. This was the first conviction for inciting racial hatred online since the start of far-right riots on July 30.
"Let this serve as a reminder that anyone involved, directly or indirectly, is guilty," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer in response to the verdict. His government will soon address the issue of hate speech in online media, he announced.
Since the start of the riots, 500 people have been arrested, with charges brought against around 150, and some have already received multi-year prison sentences.
Looking ahead to the upcoming football season, Starmer urged the London police to "remain vigilant." The situation across much of the country has remained calm recently.
The riots were sparked by a knife attack in the coastal town of Southport near Liverpool on July 29, in which three children were killed and ten others injured. Subsequently, misinformation circulated claiming that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.
According to police, the suspected perpetrator was a 17-year-old born in Wales. British media reports suggest that the man's parents are from Rwanda.
The police will likely increase their presence around the football stadiums during the upcoming season, given Prime Minister Keir Starmer's urgent call for vigilance. Furthermore, the police in London have been actively involved in investigations related to the far-right riots, with over 500 arrests made so far.
