British police braced for more far-right violence over the weekend after another night of disorder
LONDON: Police across Britain are bracing for more violence on Saturday after another night of rioting by far-right protesters that saw four officers hospitalized during a tense battle outside a mosque in the northeastern English city of Sunderland.
During the violent disorder on Friday night, protesters threw beer kegs, fire extinguishers and rocks at police officers. A car was set on fire and a police station was attacked. Many of those involved were not from the city and traveled to cause mayhem, according to police.
The violence in Sunderland, where 10 people were arrested, is the latest outbreak of violence in recent days and nights, apparently in the wake of Monday's stabbing rampage at a dance class in the north-west coastal town of Southport that left three girls dead and several injured. A 17-year-old man has been arrested.
False rumors spread online about the young man's identity, that he is a Muslim and an immigrant, fueling anger among far-right supporters. Suspects under the age of 18 are not usually named in Britain, but Judge Andrew Menary ordered that Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, be identified, in part to stop the spread of misinformation.
In a press conference on Saturday after the clearance, Northumbria Police chief Mark Hall described the violent protests in Sunderland as “inexcusable” and that four officers were injured, three as a direct result of the disturbance. He also said that a passenger driver was seriously injured in the accident and is being treated in hospital.
“Over the course of the evening, our officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence,” he said. “Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law.”
More than 20 protests are expected over the weekend, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester. Police said many are organized online by shadowy far-right groups, mobilizing support with phrases such as “enough is enough,” “save our children” and “stop the boats.” Counter-protests are also expected with the organization Stand Up To Racism, which gathers against Islamophobia and the extreme right.
Police have deployed more officers over the weekend, made more jail cells available and will use surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Britain's new Labor Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media platform X Saturday that criminals who attack police and spot disorder will “pay the price” for their trouble and that police have the full backing of the government to “take the strongest possible action.”
Far-right protesters have held several violent protests since the stabbing, clashing with police on Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport – near the scene of the horrific stabbing – and hurling beer cans, bottles and flares near the prime minister's London office the next day. People in Southport are understandably angry at the organized random acts of violence that have accentuated their shock and grief.
The attack on children Monday at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, although mass stabbings are rare.
Rudakubana, has been charged with murder for the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He has also been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were injured.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the chaos. He said police across the UK would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown of law and order on our streets.”
At a press conference on Thursday, the prime minister said the street violence was “clearly fueled by far-right hatred” as he announced a program to enable police to better share intelligence between agencies and make arrests quickly.
“This is coordinated; this is intentional,” says Starmer. “This is not a protest that has gotten out of hand. This is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”
