The British government has called on police officers to remain on high alert ahead of possible further riots at the weekend, following days of violent racist attacks and rioting, minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said.
The riots began last week after a wave of fake online posts misidentified the suspected killer of three young girls in a July 29 stabbing in northwest England.
The riots, carried out by what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “far-right thugs”, mainly targeted Muslims, black people and migrants. The windows of the hotels where the asylum seekers are staying were broken, and the mosques were pelted with stones.
Predicted widespread far-right unrest failed to materialize on Wednesday, when thousands of counter-protesters took to the streets across the country, giving authorities hope that the unrest is winding down.
New riots could happen this weekend, however. It is not clear how many far-right riots are planned or whether they will take place. About 40 counter-demonstrations are expected on Saturday, according to the group Stand Up to Racism.
So far, more than 480 people have been arrested, and almost 150 have been charged.
