- Riots in British Cities After Bloodshed
Prime Minister Keir Starmer consulted with cabinet members. The deployment forces have his full support in tackling extremists who attacked police officers and attempted to incite hate, said the Labour politician. The riots are seen as the first test for the new head of government, who has been in office for exactly one month.
At least three police officers were injured in the northeastern English city of Kingston upon Hull, where there were several arrests. In the Northern Irish capital of Belfast, rioters smashed the windows of a café. In the northeastern English city of Sunderland, there were heavy damages on Friday night.
The ultranationalists are protesting against what they see as excessive migration and accuse the authorities of lying about the identity of the knife attacker in Southport. After the bloodshed on Monday, rumors spread on social media that the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum seeker.
The police stressed that the suspect, a 17-year-old, was born in the UK. His parents are from Rwanda. The teenager is accused of stabbing three girls and injuring eight other children and two adults, some critically. He is in custody.
Heavy damages in Sunderland
In Sunderland, right-wing extremists attacked the police on Friday night. Windows of a police station were smashed, an adjacent building was set on fire, and a store was looted. Ten people were arrested.
Counter-protesters confronted the ultranationalists in many places. In some cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and Blackpool in northwest England, the police were temporarily granted wide-ranging powers to remove potential troublemakers from the city center.
In the northwest English city of Blackpool, ultranationalists and punks threw chairs and bottles at each other before the police intervened. A man fell unconscious after hitting his head on the ground. In the central English city of Stoke-on-Trent, stones were thrown at police from a crowd. There were four arrests. The police denied reports on social media that two participants in an anti-Muslim march had been stabbed. A man was lightly injured when he was hit by a blunt object.
Known right-wing extremist calls for protests
The founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, called for the protests, often near a mosque, as in Sunderland. He fled the country a few days ago after failing to appear for a court hearing in a defamation case.
There have already been right-wing riots in the past few days. After riots in London's government district, more than 110 people were arrested. In the northeastern English city of Hartlepool, police took a 11-year-old and a 14-year-old into custody after serious riots on Wednesday night.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said lawbreakers would pay a high price. "Violence has no place on our streets." Her Conservative predecessor, James Cleverly, called for tougher action. The Labour government must do more to stop the violence of the "thugs," Cleverly said, as he aims to become the successor of Rishi Sunak as the head of the Conservative Party.
Live updates: Sky News Statement from Humberside Police on Kingston upon Hull
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his support for the deployment forces, acknowledging their role in tackling extremists in various cities, including Sunderland. The recent incidents in Sunderland, where the police station was attacked and a store was looted, are a significant challenge for Prime Minister Starmer in his first month in office.
