Thousands of UK riot police were on high alert Wednesday, prepared to respond to further potential violence that has persisted for over a week following the murder of three children.
Far-right groups have organized demonstrations in over 30 locations, targeting immigration lawyers and buildings housing asylum seekers, according to leaked posts on Telegram shared with British media.
The government announced that 6,000 specialist police officers are being prepared to handle the worst unrest in England in over a decade, which has resulted in hundreds of arrests and over 100 charges.
The violence erupted after three young girls, aged nine, seven, and six, were killed and five other children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, northwest England.
False rumors initially circulated on social media claiming the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales, with parents from Rwanda.
Despite police clarifications, initial disturbances in Southport focused on a local mosque, leading to widespread violence across England and Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned late Tuesday that anyone involved in the unrest would face “the full force of the law,” including those inciting violence online. Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, stated he expected “substantive sentencing before the end of this week” for the rioters, after chairing his second emergency meeting in two days.
“This should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online,” he added in televised remarks.
The unrest, Britain’s worst since the 2011 London riots, has prompted several countries to issue travel warnings about the UK.
Rioting in several cities has involved demonstrators throwing bricks and flares at police, burning cars, and attacking mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Many alleged perpetrators appeared before judges on Tuesday, with some entering guilty pleas.
A 19-year-old man became the first to receive a prison sentence related to the unrest, receiving a two-month term on Tuesday, according to PA Media. Another man was convicted of assaulting a police officer outside a hotel for asylum seekers in Rotherham. A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to violent disorder in Liverpool, identified from a TikTok video, and a man in Leeds admitted posting threats on Facebook to incite racial hatred.
The government, in office for only a month, has vowed to take a tough stance on the unrest. “99.9% of people across the country want their streets to be safe and to feel safe in their communities, and we will take all necessary action to bring the disorder to an end,” Starmer said Tuesday.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4 that an additional 500 prison places have been made available. Police attribute the disorder to individuals associated with the now-defunct English Defence League, a far-right group linked to football hooliganism. The rallies have been promoted on far-right social media under the banner “Enough is enough.”
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper warned that “there will be a reckoning” for perpetrators, noting that social media has amplified the violence.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk escalated a dispute with the UK government Tuesday, comparing Britain to “the Soviet Union.” A spokesperson for Starmer condemned Musk’s earlier comment suggesting a British “civil war is inevitable,” saying it was unjustified.
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