Britain has been shaken by violent riots since the knife attack in Southport. Ultranationalists have called for further protests over the weekend, some of which have already escalated.
Police officers in Great Britain have again been massively attacked in new protests over the knife attack in Southport. In the north-eastern English city of Sunderland, a mob set fire to a building next to a police station, the BBC reported. Other reports said the station itself was set on fire. Officers were pelted with fire extinguishers, stones and beer bottles near a mosque.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that criminal attackers would pay a price for the violence. A car was set on fire and a taxi was attacked. A well-known right-wing extremist had called for the rally.
Misinformation on social media
Northumbria Police spoke of serious violence against officers. The mayor of the North East region, Kim McGuinness of the ruling Labour party, wrote on X: “These are not protests. This is crime and chaos. You do not speak for Sunderland.”
The demonstration in Sunderland was one of more than a dozen planned by anti-immigration protesters across the UK this weekend. The protests are expected to take place near at least two mosques in Liverpool, the city closest to the site of the knife attack. Several counter-protests against racism were also planned.
People gathered for a counter-demonstration in front of a mosque in Liverpool.
Ultranationalists claim that the authorities are hiding the true identity of the attacker who stabbed three girls to death and seriously injured other children and two adults on Monday. Rumors were spread on social media that the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum seeker. The police stress that the 17-year-old suspect was born in Great Britain. His parents are from Rwanda.
Authorities are preparing for further Riots
There have already been riots in several cities in recent days, including in London's government district. In the British capital alone, more than 110 people were arrested. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a tough crackdown on rioters. He visited Southport again today and spoke to doctors at the children's hospital, among others. The government headquarters in Downing Street was illuminated in pink in memory of the victims and all those affected.
The authorities are preparing for further riots at the weekend. Ultranationalists have called for protests in numerous cities, often near mosques. Hundreds of religious sites in the country are planning to tighten their security measures, the Muslim Council of Britain said.
