British authorities said on Thursday they were bracing for the possibility of more riots, even as they praised the efforts of anti-racism activists and police who largely thwarted a wave of far-right demonstrations overnight.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer sounded a note of caution after a week of anti-immigrant violence that has affected communities from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. Starmer spoke to reporters at a mosque in Solihull, near Birmingham, where protesters closed a shopping center on Sunday.
LOUD UK PROTESTS CONTINUED ON THE 7TH MORNING LEADING 3 YOUTHS TO DEATH
“It’s important that we don’t stop here,” Starmer said. “And that’s why later today I’ll have another (emergency) meeting with law enforcement, with senior police officers to make sure we’re thinking about yesterday but also planning for the days ahead.”
Police across the UK were on alert for widespread disorder on Wednesday night after far-right activists circulated a list of more than 100 sites they planned to target, including offices of immigration lawyers and others offering services to migrants.
A general view of people gathered to protest against a planned far-right anti-immigration protest in Walthamstow, London, Wednesday, August 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
But the demonstration failed to take place as police and counter-protesters filled the streets.
Carrying signs saying “Refugees Welcome” and chanting “Whose streets? Our streets,” people turned out in force to protect the asylum service center and immigration attorney’s office.
The government has also declared a national emergency, putting 6,000 specially trained police on standby to respond to any disturbance. Police said the protests and counter-protests were largely peaceful, although some arrests were made.
“A show of strength from the police and, frankly, a show of unity from the community together overcomes the challenges we face,” said Commissioner Mark Rowley, head of London’s Metropolitan Police Service. “It was very peaceful yesterday, and the fear of extreme right disorder has subsided.”
But tensions remain high after right-wing agitators sparked violence by spreading misinformation about the identity of a suspect in a knife attack that killed three young girls in the English coastal town of Southport on July 29. The last child hospitalized in the stabbing has been released, police said Friday.
Nearly 500 people have been arrested across the country after anti-immigrant mobs clashed with police, attacked a mosque and overran two hotels housing asylum-seekers.
Among those arrested was a man in his 50s on suspicion of “supporting murder.” The arrests came after a local Labor councilor allegedly demanded the throats of far-right protesters be “cut.”
The Labor Party has suspended Ricky Jones, who is accused of making the comments at a London demonstration on Wednesday.
The government has promised to track down and prosecute those responsible for the disorder, including those who incite violence online.
In an attempt to deter people from taking part in future riots by showing that rioters will face swift justice, TV cameras were allowed into Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday as Judge Andrew Menary sentenced two men to 32 months in prison.
During the hearing, prosecutors played a video of rioters pelting police with bricks and setting trash cans on fire. One of the suspects was in the middle of a group that tore the bumper off a police vehicle and threw it at officers as onlookers cheered.
“There were probably hundreds of people watching, as if it was Tuesday night entertainment,” Menary said. “Everyone should be frankly ashamed of themselves.”
Northern Ireland’s regional legislative assembly held a special meeting Thursday in response to the unrest. Justice Minister Naomi Long said recent violence and racist attacks “do not reflect” the people of Northern Ireland.
“We need to call it for what it is. It’s racism, it’s Islamophobia, it’s xenophobia,” he said. must challenge.”
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The government is also considering imposing sanctions other than jail time, including banning rioters from football matches. Home Affairs Minister Diana Johnson told LBC Radio that there would be consequences for people who were harassed.
“I think all options are being looked at, to be honest, and I’m clear that most football clubs don’t want to be seen to have football hooligans and people doing criminal acts on the streets of their local communities on Saturday,” he said.
