Several police officers were injured in a new wave of violence on the streets of British cities on Saturday, the fourth day of unrest over the murders of three girls in north-west England earlier this week.
Riots involving hundreds of people protesting against immigrants have erupted in several cities in recent days, after false information spread on social media that the suspect in the massacre was a radical Muslim immigrant.
Police said Axel Rudakubana, 17, the suspect in Monday’s stabbing at a children’s dance class in Southport, was born in the Welsh capital Cardiff, but anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim protests continued and turned into violence and rioting, Hina writes.
Liverpool Police said on Saturday that several officers were injured while trying to quell a “serious disturbance” in the city centre.
Authorities in the eastern English city of Hull said four people were arrested and three police officers were injured in protests that included throwing bottles.
Advisories have been issued to increase security at mosques across the country, while police have deployed additional forces.
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, elected at the beginning of July, is facing his first big test. He condemned the “extreme right” for the violence and supported the police in taking tough measures. On Saturday, he discussed the disorder with ministers, his office said.
Starmer said on Saturday there was “no excuse for violence”.
Fighting and violence also broke out in Leeds and Manchester, as well as Liverpool, where protesters threw eggs, beer cans and smoke bombs. In Belfast, some businesses reported material damage. Several people were arrested in London, including one for giving a Nazi salute to a counter-protester.
Four police officers injured in Friday night’s riots were taken to hospital and 12 people were arrested, Sunderland Chief Superintendent Mark Hall told reporters on Saturday.
“This was not a protest. This was unforgivable violence and disorder,” Hall said.
At least 30 protests are planned across the UK this weekend, the BBC reports, along with a number of counter-protests by anti-racism groups.
