Police and protesters clashed in several UK cities in the latest round of far-right unrest following a stabbing attack in northwest England this week. Dozens of people were arrested on Saturday, with images of violent crowds and burning storefronts spreading on social media.
The stabbing in Southport, which killed three children during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class, has increased tensions across UK cities. Far-right activists have been accused of spreading false information on social media, most notably claiming that the Southport attacker was an illegal immigrant.
UK police have confirmed that the 17-year-old suspect, Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, was born in Cardiff. Despite his age, they took the unusual step of naming him.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his senior ministers on Saturday to discuss the unrest. A Downing Street spokesperson said, “The Prime Minister set out that the police have our full support to take action against extremists who are attacking police officers, disrupting local businesses, and trying to spread hate by intimidating communities.”
Starmer said, “The right to freedom of expression and the violent disorder we have seen are two very different things,” according to his spokesperson.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also condemned the protesters’ violence, warning that “thuggery” has no place in the country.
On Saturday, videos on social media showed anti-immigrant protesters gathered along Liverpool’s riverside, shouting slogans like “Stop the Boats,” referring to dinghies used by asylum seekers to cross the English Channel. City police reported that several officers were injured dealing with the “serious disorder.”
In Manchester, the UK’s third-largest city, protesters marched through the city center carrying placards with slogans like “Save our Kids.” They faced a counter-protest by anti-racism campaigners holding signs saying “No to Fascism and No to Racism.”
Riot police were deployed to Belfast, the Northern Irish capital after protesters set off projectiles and fireworks near City Hall. Tense exchanges occurred between far-right demonstrators and a pro-Palestinian counter-protest. One woman from the counter-protest was injured when a firework exploded next to her, reported by the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ.
Community Lives in Fear: Hate Crimes on the Rise
Saturday’s scenes were the latest in ongoing violence. Earlier in the week, the Muslim Council of Britain asked mosques to be careful and increase security after “deeply disturbing scenes of mobs targeting mosques in Southport and Hartlepool.”
In Sunderland, northeast England, ten people were arrested, and four police officers were injured during violent protests on Friday. Those arrested face charges including violent disorder and burglary.
Hundreds of rioters threw stones at police, shouted anti-Islam slogans, and targeted a local mosque. Police called the scenes “completely unacceptable,” PA Media reported.
