LIVERPOOL, England/BELFAST: Violent unrest swept across several British cities on Saturday, injuring police and damaging property in the country's most widespread rioting in 13 years, following the killing of three young girls in northwest England.
Riots involving hundreds of anti-immigration protesters have erupted in towns and cities after false information quickly spread on social media that the suspect in Monday's knife attack at a children's dance class in Southport was a radical Muslim migrant.
Police have said the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, 17, was born in Britain, but the protests by anti-immigration and anti-Muslim protesters have continued and descended into violence, arson and looting.
Violent unrest broke out in Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Belfast – four cities located in different corners of the UK – with brawls breaking out and bricks and bottles being thrown as anti-immigration protesters clashed with groups opposed to racism.
Many police officers were injured trying to prevent several hundred rival protesters – mostly young men chanting slogans – from clashing.
In Liverpool, two police officers were in hospital with suspected facial fractures while another was pushed from his motorbike and assaulted in the disorder involving around 750 protesters and a similar number of rival protesters, said Merseyside Police, the force that polices the north-west city.
At least two stores in Liverpool were vandalized and looted, police added.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the south-west city of Bristol although anti-racist protesters outnumbered anti-immigration groups, with TV footage showing them confronting police in riot gear.
In Belfast, some businesses reported property damage while at least one was set on fire, police said.
“I have no reason why they attacked us,” Rahmi Akyol said as he stood outside the shattered glass doors of his Belfast cafe, which he said was attacked by dozens of people with bottles and chairs.
“I have lived here for 35 years. My children, my wife are from here. I don't know what to say, it's terrible, he said.
Across the UK, police have arrested dozens of individuals for offenses ranging from violent disorder to burglary and criminal damage.
Extra police have been deployed across cities while mosques across the country have been advised to beef up security following an attack on a mosque in Southport on Tuesday.
“Unforgivable Violence”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing his first major test since the election a month ago, has condemned the “extreme right” for the wave of violence and backed the police to crack down. He discussed the disruption with senior ministers on Saturday, his office said.
The last time riots broke out in Britain was in 2011 when a much larger outbreak of violence took hold, with thousands of people taking to the streets for five nights after police shot dead a black man in London.
On Friday night, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters in Sunderland threw rocks at police in riot gear near a mosque, before overturning vehicles, setting a car in motion and starting a fire near a police station.
– This was not a protest. This was inexcusable violence and disorder,” Mark Hall, Sunderland area chief constable, told reporters on Saturday.
A few more protests were planned for Sunday.
