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LONDON: Police across the UK are bracing for more violence Saturday following another night of rioting by far-right protesters that saw four officers hospitalized during a tense stand-off outside a mosque in the city of Sunderland northeast England.
During the violent disorder on Friday evening, protesters tossed beer barrels, fire extinguishers and rocks at police officers. A car was set ablaze, and a police station was attacked. Many of those involved were not from the city and traveled to cause chaos, according to police.
The violence in Sunderland, which saw ten people arrested, is the latest outbreak of violence over the past few days and nights, which have ostensibly erupted in the wake of Monday’s stabbing rampage at a dance class in the northwest seaside town of Southport that left three girls dead and several wounded. A 17-year-old male has been arrested.
False rumors spread online about the young man’s identity, being a Muslim and an immigrant, fueled anger among far-right supporters. Suspects under 18 are usually not named in the UK, but Judge Andrew Menary ordered Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, to be identified, in part to stop the spread of misinformation.
In a press briefing on Saturday after the clear-up, Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall described the violent protests in Sunderland as “unforgivable” and that four police officers were injured, three as a direct result of the disorder. He also said a mounted rider sustained serious injuries in an accident and is receiving treatment in hospital.
“During the course of the evening, our officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence,” he said. “Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law.”
More than 20 protests are expected over the weekend, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester. Police said many are being organized online by shadowy far-right groups, who are mobilizing support with phrases like “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats.” Counter-protests are also anticipated with the organization Stand Up To Racism rallying against Islamophobia and the far-right.
Police have deployed more officers over the weekend, made more prison cells available and will deploy surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Britain’s new Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media platform X Saturday that criminals attacking the police and stoking disorder will “pay the price” for their thuggery and that the police have the full backing of the government to “take the strongest possible action.”
Far-right demonstrators have held several violent protests since the stabbing attack, clashing with police Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport — near the scene of the horrific stabbing — and hurling beer cans, bottles and flares near the prime minister’s office in London the next day. People in Southport are understandably angry at the organized acts of random violence that have accentuated their shock and grief.
The attack Monday on children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare.
Rudakubana, has been charged with murder over the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He also has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were wounded.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the mayhem. He said police across the UK would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown in law and order on our streets.”
At a news conference Thursday, the prime minister said the street violence was “clearly driven by far-right hatred” as he announced a program enabling police to better share intelligence across agencies and move quickly to make arrests.
“This is coordinated; this is deliberate,” Starmer said. “This is not a protest that has got out of hand. It is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”