- Rioting in Northern Ireland - Thousands protest against the right
In Northern Ireland, there have been further disturbances. Ten police officers were injured when they were attacked with fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and other projectiles in Londonderry (also known as Derry). There was one arrest.
Superintendent William Calderwood of the Northern Ireland Police described the scenes in a statement as "appalling" and added: "We can assure you that robust investigations have been initiated and we will hold those responsible for this violence to account."
15,000 protest against right-wing violence in Belfast
While it has been largely quiet in England following the right-wing riots, the riots have continued in the former conflict region of Northern Ireland in recent days.
Near the capital Belfast, a mosque was the target of a failed arson attack in the early hours of Saturday. Several cars were set alight in Belfast itself, and five people were arrested there.
At the same time, thousands also protested against right-wing violence. Estimates suggest that around 15,000 people took to the streets in Belfast on Saturday.
In London, according to the BBC, around 5,000 opponents of racism and right-wing violence marched through the government district and protested outside the headquarters of the right-wing populist party Reform UK. Further protests against the right were held in Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Glasgow, among other places.
Almost 800 people arrested
Riots in English cities had previously kept the country on edge for days. There were attacks on security forces, asylum seeker accommodations, and mosques and shops.
So far, nearly 800 people who participated in the riots or incited violence on the streets or online have been arrested. Nearly 350 have already been charged and many have been sentenced to imprisonment of several years.
The government attributes the subsiding of the riots to the swift response of the law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Keir Starmer postponed a planned family holiday, according to the BBC. Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds promised swift help to entrepreneurs whose businesses were damaged or looted during the riots.
The individual who was previously arrested in Northern Ireland for violent disturbances is now under scrutiny as part of the robust investigations initiated by the Northern Ireland Police. Even as thousands protest against right-wing violence in Belfast, five more individuals were arrested for setting cars alight in the city.
