Thousands of UK riot police stood ready on Wednesday to address potential outbreaks of violence, which had erupted more than a week prior. The unrest, fueled by the murders of three children, has seen far-right groups plan demonstrations in over 30 locations, targeting buildings housing asylum seekers and immigration lawyers. This information was revealed through leaked posts on the messaging app Telegram, shared with the British media. The government has announced the deployment of 6,000 specialist police officers to tackle what they have described as England’s worst disorder in over a decade, resulting in hundreds of arrests and over 100 charges. The violence initially erupted in Southport, northwest England, after the tragic deaths of three young girls, aged nine, seven, and six, during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class. False rumors circulated on social media, falsely accusing a Muslim asylum seeker of the attack. However, the suspect, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales, was later identified. UK media reported that his parents are from Rwanda. Despite the police statement clarifying the suspect’s identity, the initial disturbances in Southport centered around a local mosque. The violence has since spread, impacting both England and Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, addressing the nation late Tuesday, warned anyone involved in the violence, including those inciting it online, that they would face the full force of the law. Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, indicated that substantive sentencing for the rioters was expected by the end of the week, following his second emergency meeting in two days. This stern warning, he emphasized, should serve as a powerful message to anyone involved in the unrest, both directly and online. The unrest, the worst Britain has seen since the 2011 London riots, has prompted a number of countries to issue travel warnings to their citizens about the dangers of visiting the UK. In several cities, demonstrators have engaged in violent acts, throwing bricks and flares at police officers, setting cars ablaze, and attacking mosques and at least two hotels used as accommodation for asylum seekers. On Tuesday, scores of alleged perpetrators were brought before judges, with some entering guilty pleas. A 19-year-old man was the first to receive a prison sentence related to the unrest, receiving a two-month term. Another man was convicted after admitting to assaulting a police officer outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, northern England. A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder in Liverpool, identified from a TikTok video. In Leeds, a man admitted to posting threatening words on Facebook intended to incite racial hatred. The government, only a month old, has vowed to take a firm stance against the unrest. “99.9 per cent 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 confirmed that the government had freed up an extra 500 prison places to accommodate the growing number of arrests. Police have attributed the disorder to individuals associated with the now-defunct English Defence League, a far-right Islamophobic organization founded 15 years ago, known for its connections to football hooliganism. The rallies have been promoted on far-right social media channels under the banner “Enough is enough”. Interior minister Yvette Cooper declared that there would be consequences for perpetrators, adding that social media had fueled the violence. Meanwhile, tech billionaire Elon Musk escalated a dispute with the UK government, comparing Britain to “the Soviet Union.” A spokesperson for Starmer responded, stating that Musk’s earlier comment regarding an inevitable British “civil war” was unjustified.
