Major towns and cities have suffered from violent disturbances, during which police officers have been harmed by thrown objects like bricks, chairs, and bottles. Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has affirmed his complete support for the police to act against “extremists” who try to incite fear and spread hatred in communities. This statement comes as he holds crucial discussions with ministers on the chaos brewing in several areas across England.
Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has stressed that anyone engaging in such violent acts will face the consequences. She underscores that criminal violence and disorder have no acceptance on the streets of Britain. Tensions escalated between anti-immigration demonstrators and counter-protesters in cities across England and Northern Ireland on Saturday, with the police resorting to riot shields to separate the groups.
In the last three days, London, Manchester, Southport, and Hartlepool have witnessed disorder that has drawn widespread criticism from MPs across the political spectrum, particularly targeting the far right. There have been several reports of injury among the Merseyside Police during the “serious disorder” in Liverpool city centre. An officer was also struck by a chair on his head. Other objects such as bricks, bottles, and a flare were hurled at the officers protecting The Strand in the city centre.
In a separate incident, a demonstrator knocked an officer off his motorcycle with a kick. Similar acts of violence were repeated against riot shields. The situation in Hull also saw some people targeting a migrant housing hotel where four people were arrested following the injury of three officers. Humberside Police Chief Superintendent Darren Wildbore reported that their officers had to dodge thrown eggs and bottles while windows of the migrant housing hotel were shattered.
Elsewhere, in Stoke-on-Trent and Belfast, bricks and fireworks were thrown during high-strung exchanges between anti-Islamic groups and antiracism protestors. Nottingham’s Market Square saw violent scuffles erupt amongst opposing groups, with bottles and assorted items flying in all directions. Despite attempts made by some to chant “England till I die” and “Tommy Robinson,” outraged counter-protestors managed to drown them out. At least three arrests were made in the city located in East Midlands.
In Leeds, approximately 150 individuals brandishing St George’s emblems and yelling such phrases as “You lose your English origins” and “Muslim paedophiles off our roads” were significantly outnumbered by hundreds of counter-demonstrators chanting “Get Nazis off our roads”.
Violent confrontations erupted between protestors and punks in Blackpool, involving thrown bottles, chairs and brandished wooden planks.
The succession of aggressive episodes started in Southport on Tuesday, when aggressive protestors clashed with the police and set vehicles ablaze, all following the tragic stabbing deaths of three young girls at a holiday club themed around Taylor Swift.
The accused, 17-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana from Lancashire, was falsely claimed on the internet to be an asylum seeker who had migrated to the UK by sea.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered on Tuesday in Southport to honour the young victims: six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar. Nevertheless, conflict later flared up near a local mosque, resulting in injuries to 53 police personnel and three police dogs.