LONDON, Aug 4 – Multiple arrests have been made after violent far-right demonstrations erupted across the United Kingdom on Saturday, following the deadly stabbings in Southport that shook the nation.
Far-right protesters clashed violently with police officers throughout the day in major UK cities, including Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham, Sunderland and Belfast.
In Liverpool, two police officers have been taken to hospital with facial injuries. Six people, aged between 29 and 58, have been arrested on suspicion of offenses including violent disorder and criminal damage.
Politicians and the police condemned the far-right protesters for causing chaos at a time when the country needs to focus on healing after the deadly knife attack on Monday.
“Violence, looting and vandalism – all of this is not protesting; it’s criminal behavior. It is also not mourning the loss of those innocent children in Southport, with whom our thoughts should be,” said Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth during a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said on his X account that “we cannot let rioting thugs and extremists win.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed the government’s “full support” for the police against “extremists” attacking officers and attempting to “sow hate” as he held talks with ministers on Saturday over the violence across the country.
Three children died and multiple others were injured after the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport. A 17-year-old boy named Axel Rudakubana born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents has been charged with murder.
However, disinformation spreading online about the nationality of the boy and his religious affiliation has fueled hatred towards Muslims and the immigrant population in general.
A “tsunami of lies” on social media is exacerbating protests across the UK, said Professor Matthew Feldman, a leading expert on right-wing extremism.
According to a BBC analysis, activity on mainstream social media and in smaller public groups showed a clear pattern of influencers calling on people to gather for protests, and revealed how the far-right is organizing in the UK.
In a press conference on Friday, Starmer urged big social media companies to take responsibility in combatting misinformation and disinformation.
