NEW DELHI: The UK authorities are under intense pressure to end the worst rioting in 13 years, which has spread across the country due to disturbances linked to child murders and fueled by far-right agitators.
The unrest, driven by misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls, has led to violent protests and clashes with police in cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a major test, as the violence is straining police resources and may impact the investigation of other crimes. The situation has caused significant disruption and concern within local communities.
Here are the latest developments:
Dozens arrested after UK protests turn violent
UK police arrested dozens of people after protests turned violent across parts of England and Northern Ireland on Saturday. The government promised to take strong action against those exploiting the murder of three girls to cause chaos.
Hundreds of anti-immigration groups have protested in towns and cities across Britain after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport last week.
Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups spread false information that the suspect was a radical Islamist migrant. Police have confirmed the suspect was born in Britain, and media reports say his family is Christian.
UK police: Far-right violence strains resources
Police warned on Sunday that managing the violence from far-right protests, sparked by a false report of a stabbing attack, may hinder investigations into other crimes. The protests erupted after a dance class stabbing left three girls dead. Violent clashes have occurred across the UK, including Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol, with dozens arrested.
The protests have led to severe disruptions, including the burning of a community centre in Liverpool. Authorities are deploying more officers and using surveillance to control the situation. Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has vowed to stop the far-right violence.
Bricks, bottles and razor blades violence takes a violent turn
In some instances, rioters threw bricks, bottles and flares at police — injuring several officers — looted and burnt shops, while demonstrators shouted anti-Islamic slurs as they clashed with counter-protesters.
The violence is the worst England has seen since the summer of 2011, when widespread rioting took place following the police killing of a mixed-race man in north London.
“We’ve had riots and clashes of this nature, but they have been pocketed in particular areas of the country. We’re now seeing it flooding across major cities and towns,” said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
‘Criminal disorder and violent thuggery’, says UK government
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned the mobs they will “pay the price” for such “criminal disorder and violent thuggery”.
“Addressing the scenes of disorder we have seen, the Prime Minister set out that the police have our full support to take action against extremists on our streets who are attacking police officers, disrupting local businesses and attempting to sow hate by intimidating communities,” Downing Street said after a high-level meeting of ministers convened by Starmer on Saturday.
“The Prime Minister ended by saying the right to freedom of expression and the violent disorder we have seen are two very different things. He said there is no excuse for violence of any kind and reiterated that the government backs the police to take all necessary action to keep our streets safe,” the statement added.
Religious and racial issues
The far-right protests are fueled by misinformation about the identity of the 17-year-old suspect charged in the Southport stabbing, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls. The misinformation, largely spread on social media, has stirred anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments among demonstrators, as reported by news agency The Guardian.
Counter-protests have emerged in response to the far-right demonstrations, with various groups including anti-racism advocates and religious leaders calling for calm. In Belfast, a sizable anti-racism rally took place, aiming to counteract the anti-Islamic sentiments expressed by a smaller group. Similarly, in Leeds and Nottingham, counter-protesters have clashed with far-right demonstrators, denouncing racism and xenophobia.
The unrest, driven by misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls, has led to violent protests and clashes with police in cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a major test, as the violence is straining police resources and may impact the investigation of other crimes. The situation has caused significant disruption and concern within local communities.
Here are the latest developments:
Dozens arrested after UK protests turn violent
UK police arrested dozens of people after protests turned violent across parts of England and Northern Ireland on Saturday. The government promised to take strong action against those exploiting the murder of three girls to cause chaos.
Hundreds of anti-immigration groups have protested in towns and cities across Britain after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport last week.
Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups spread false information that the suspect was a radical Islamist migrant. Police have confirmed the suspect was born in Britain, and media reports say his family is Christian.
UK police: Far-right violence strains resources
Police warned on Sunday that managing the violence from far-right protests, sparked by a false report of a stabbing attack, may hinder investigations into other crimes. The protests erupted after a dance class stabbing left three girls dead. Violent clashes have occurred across the UK, including Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol, with dozens arrested.
The protests have led to severe disruptions, including the burning of a community centre in Liverpool. Authorities are deploying more officers and using surveillance to control the situation. Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has vowed to stop the far-right violence.
Bricks, bottles and razor blades violence takes a violent turn
In some instances, rioters threw bricks, bottles and flares at police — injuring several officers — looted and burnt shops, while demonstrators shouted anti-Islamic slurs as they clashed with counter-protesters.
The violence is the worst England has seen since the summer of 2011, when widespread rioting took place following the police killing of a mixed-race man in north London.
“We’ve had riots and clashes of this nature, but they have been pocketed in particular areas of the country. We’re now seeing it flooding across major cities and towns,” said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
‘Criminal disorder and violent thuggery’, says UK government
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned the mobs they will “pay the price” for such “criminal disorder and violent thuggery”.
“Addressing the scenes of disorder we have seen, the Prime Minister set out that the police have our full support to take action against extremists on our streets who are attacking police officers, disrupting local businesses and attempting to sow hate by intimidating communities,” Downing Street said after a high-level meeting of ministers convened by Starmer on Saturday.
“The Prime Minister ended by saying the right to freedom of expression and the violent disorder we have seen are two very different things. He said there is no excuse for violence of any kind and reiterated that the government backs the police to take all necessary action to keep our streets safe,” the statement added.
Religious and racial issues
The far-right protests are fueled by misinformation about the identity of the 17-year-old suspect charged in the Southport stabbing, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls. The misinformation, largely spread on social media, has stirred anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments among demonstrators, as reported by news agency The Guardian.
Counter-protests have emerged in response to the far-right demonstrations, with various groups including anti-racism advocates and religious leaders calling for calm. In Belfast, a sizable anti-racism rally took place, aiming to counteract the anti-Islamic sentiments expressed by a smaller group. Similarly, in Leeds and Nottingham, counter-protesters have clashed with far-right demonstrators, denouncing racism and xenophobia.