Thousands protest against xenophobia in Britain
In London, nearly a thousand people demonstrated outside the headquarters of the anti-immigration party Reform UK, led by Brexit advocate Nigel Farage. Some held signs reading "No to racism, no to hate".
Similarly, hundreds of people in Newcastle, Cardiff in Wales, and the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh also protested against xenophobia.
Jeremy Snelling, a 64-year-old participant in London, told the AFP news agency, "I don't like it when the right-wing goes out in my name. I'm for open borders and refugees are a good thing."
Phoebe Sewell, a 32-year-old from London, explained that it's "very important for immigrants to see us white Britons saying: 'No, we don't tolerate this'".
The recent wave of xenophobic riots saw attacks on mosques and refugee shelters.
The violence erupted following 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 July 29. Speculations and misinformation about the suspect's background, whose family is from Rwanda, quickly spread online.
After a tough crackdown by authorities with over 700 arrests, 300 charges, and initial prison sentences for the rioters, the situation has since calmed down.
The Commission issued a statement condemning the xenophobic attacks and expressing support for the victims. The demonstrators outside The Commission's office also called for the Commission to take stronger action against hate speech and discrimination.
