Thousands of police in the UK are on alert to handle possible new riots, which began more than a week ago after the murder of three children.
Far-right groups are planning demonstrations in over 30 locations, targeting immigration lawyers and buildings housing asylum seekers, as revealed by posts on the messaging app Telegram that were leaked to the British media.
The government has prepared 6,000 specialist police officers to manage the situation, marking England's worst disorder in over ten years. Hundreds have been arrested, and more than 100 have been charged.
The violence started after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, northwest England, killed three girls, aged nine, seven, and six, and critically injured five other children. False rumors on social media initially claimed the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. However, the suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales, with parents from Rwanda.
Despite police clarifications, initial unrest in Southport focused on a local mosque, leading to widespread violence across England and Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that anyone involved would face severe legal consequences, including those inciting violence online. Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, emphasized that he expects significant sentences for the rioters by the end of the week. He reiterated this after chairing his second emergency meeting in two days.
“This should send a strong message to anyone involved, either directly or online,” he stated in a televised address.
The unrest, the worst in Britain since the 2011 London riots, has prompted several countries to caution their citizens about traveling to the UK.
The riots have seen demonstrators hurl bricks and flares at police, burn cars, and attack mosques and hotels accommodating asylum seekers. Numerous alleged rioters faced judges on Tuesday, with some pleading guilty.
A 19-year-old man was the first to be sentenced, receiving a two-month prison term. Another man was convicted for assaulting a police officer outside an asylum seeker hotel in Rotherham, northern England, on Sunday. A 15-year-old boy admitted to violent disorder in Liverpool after being identified from a TikTok video, while a man in Leeds confessed to posting threatening messages on Facebook to incite racial hatred.
The government, only a month old, has pledged to take a hard stance on the unrest.
“99.9% of people across the country want to feel safe in their communities, and we will take all necessary actions to end the disorder,” Starmer said on Tuesday.
Justice minister Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4 that the government has made an additional 500 prison places available.
Police attribute the disorder to people linked to the now-defunct English Defence League, a far-right Islamophobic group, whose supporters have ties to football hooliganism. The rallies are being promoted on far-right social media channels under the slogan "Enough is enough."
Interior minister Yvette Cooper warned that there would be serious consequences for the rioters, adding that social media had significantly fueled the violence.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk escalated his dispute with the UK government by comparing Britain to the Soviet Union. A spokesperson for Starmer responded that there was “no justification” for Musk’s earlier comment that a British “civil war is inevitable.”
AFP
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