Protests organized by far-right groups in several British cities and towns have turned violent, with cities witnessing riots and attacks on immigrants and Muslims, the worst in years.
The far-right has exploited the tragic death of three girls at a dance in Southport to spread misinformation and incitement against immigrants, despite police assurances that the suspect was British and that the attack was not linked to terrorism.
Hotels in northern England housing asylum seekers have been targeted in attacks, with protesters setting fires and breaking windows in hotels in the cities of Tamworth and Rotherham, injuring several police officers. The actions prompted the UK police minister to announce a “rapid arrest” strategy to deal with the riots.
Alongside the riots, the Muslim community has seen an increase in threats and hate crimes, with reports of rape and murder against Muslims rising. The Muslim Council of Britain and organizations such as “Tell Mama” have warned of growing fear and threats against Muslims and stressed the need for greater protection of mosques.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly condemned the unrest, warning that those involved would face “the full force of the law”. He described the events as not just protests but “far-right thuggery” and stressed that these actions do not represent British values.
Earlier, Stammer expressed his full support for the police in confronting these demonstrations, stressing the need to confront extremists who sow hatred.
The police were also able to control the situation in Liverpool on Saturday morning, after they repelled attempts to attack officers with stones, bottles and fireworks, and anti-fascist demonstrators also gathered near Lime Street station, calling for unity and tolerance and rejecting Nazism.
The renewed protests over several days pose a major challenge to the new British government and put national security and community coexistence to the test.
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