Police and protesters squared off in several UK cities in the latest round of unrest fueled by the far right, following a stabbing attack in northn-west England this week.
Dozens of people were arrested on Saturday, as scenes of violent crowds and burning storefronts spread on social media.
Since the stabbing in Southport, which left three children dead during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class, tensions have been ratcheting up across UK cities.
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Far-right activists have been accused of using social media platforms to spread disinformation, most notably falsely claiming that the Southport attacker was an immigrant who had arrived in the UK illegally.
UK police have confirmed that the 17-year-old attacker, Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, was born in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, taking the unusual step of naming him despite being under 18.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with senior ministers of his cabinet on Saturday to discuss the unrest, a Downing Street spokesperson said, adding that “the Prime Minister set out that the police have our full support to take action against extremists on our streets who are attacking police officers, disrupting local businesses and attempting to sow hate by intimidating communities.”
“The right to freedom of expression and the violent disorder we have seen are two very different things,” Starmer said, according to his spokesperson.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also denounced violence acts by the protesters, warning that “thuggery” has no place in the country.
Protests in Manchester, Belfast, Liverpool and other cities
On Saturday, videos posted on social media showed crowds of anti-immigrant protesters assembled along Liverpool’s riverside, shouting slogans, such as “Stop the Boats” – a reference to the dinghies used by asylum seekers to cross the English Channel to the UK mainland.
City police meanwhile said a number of officers had been injured dealing with “serious disorder.”
In the UK’s third largest city, Manchester, crowds of protesters marched through the city center on Saturday carrying placards with slogans, such as “Save our Kids.”
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They were also met by a counter-protest of anti-racism campaigners who carried signs with slogans, saying “No to Fascism and No to Racism.”
Riot police were deployed to the Northern Irish capital Belfast after protesters set off projectiles and fireworks near the City Hall.
Tense exchanges took place between the far-right demonstrators and protesters involved in a pro-Palestinian counter-protest.
One woman from the counter-protest was injured after a firework exploded next to her, the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ reported.
Belfast’s anti-immigrant protest managed to unite protesters from two of the region’s traditionally most divided groups, Unionists and Nationalists.
Anti-immigrant protesters from both communities gathered together in significant numbers on Saturday, brandishing both English and Irish national flags and anti-immigrant placards.
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Stand-offs were reported at several other cities and follow similar incidents this week.
Anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate estimated as many as 35 protests were due to take place on Saturday and Sunday under a “broad anti-multiculturalism, anti-Muslim and anti-government agenda.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Friday, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Gavin Stephens said police chiefs had agreed to “step up resourcing” over the weekend.
The UK Crown Prosecutor Service will also deploy 70 extra lawyers this weekend to support police out-of-hours with charging advice to help maintain public safety; the prosecutor service said in a post on X on Saturday.
According to the respective police departments of each city and county, there were at least 20 arrests in Hull, at least 11 arrests in Liverpool, at least 12 arrests in Sunderland, two arrests in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and multiple arrests in Bristol on Saturday.
Fears of racial and religious targeting
Saturday’s scenes were only the latest wave of ongoing violence. Earlier in the week, the Muslim Council of Britain urged mosques to be vigilant and strengthen security measures following “deeply disturbing scenes of mobs targeting mosques in Southport and Hartlepool.”
Ten people were arrested and four police officers were injured during the previous round of violent protests in Sunderland, northeast England, on Friday.
Those detained are facing a range of offenses, including violent disorder and burglary.
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Hundreds of rioters pelted police with stones, shouted anti-Islam slogans and targeted a local mosque, PA Media reported, in scenes police called “completely unacceptable.”
Southport – the scene of the stabbings – has also seen disorder.
Earlier this week, police said they believed a crowd in Southport took to the streets over unconfirmed reports speculating on the identity of the suspect.
The 17-year-old suspect appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and was named after a judge lifted the reporting restrictions that normally apply to minors.
He has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder, as well as possession of a bladed article.
Starmer has promised to tackle the uptick in far-right violence, holding a meeting with police chiefs on Thursday to draw up a national plan of action.
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