UK leader Keir Starmer issued a stern warning to far-right protesters on Sunday, stating they would “regret” their participation in the worst rioting England has seen in 13 years. The unrest, sparked by misinformation related to the recent murder of three children, has spread across the country.
Masked anti-immigration demonstrators vandalized a hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which has been housing asylum seekers. The violence, which began in Southport after a mass stabbing on Monday, has now affected multiple towns and cities. Protesters have clashed with police, who were also targeted with bricks, bottles, and flares. Several officers were injured, and shops were looted and set on fire.
Starmer, who recently led Labour to a landslide victory over the Conservatives, expressed disappointment in a televised address, stating, “There is no justification for this far-right thuggery,” and pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable.
In addition to Rotherham, the northeastern city of Middlesbrough saw hundreds of protesters facing off against riot police.
An AFP news crew was attacked, with their camera destroyed, though no journalists were harmed.
The violence has led to over 150 arrests since Saturday in various cities, including Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool, and Hull, as well as Belfast in Northern Ireland. Anti-Islamic slurs were shouted during the clashes, and at least two mosques were targeted. The UK interior ministry announced new emergency security measures for Islamic places of worship.
The disturbances are the worst since the 2011 riots in England, which followed the police killing of a mixed-race man in north London. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders in Liverpool have called for calm.
False rumors on social media about the background of the British-born suspect, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who is accused of the murders and injuring 10 others, fueled the violence. The English Defence League, an anti-Islam organization with links to football hooliganism, has been blamed for inciting the unrest.
The far-right rallies, branded under the slogan “Enough is enough,” featured participants waving English and British flags and chanting anti-immigration slogans.
In some areas, such as Aldershot, protests remained peaceful, with participants holding signs reading “Stop the invasion” and asserting they are “not far right, just right.” In contrast, anti-fascist demonstrators in cities like Leeds countered with chants of “Nazi scum off our streets.”
The political landscape’s recent shift, with the far-right Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage capturing 14% of the vote in the last election, may have emboldened these protests. Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, suggested the unrest should be “a wake-up call to all politicians” who have either promoted or failed to resist anti-immigration rhetoric.
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