Fires
The riots spread in the UK after the stabbing in Southport
Noam Bertling
Updated 23.04 | Published 22.29
Broken windows at asylum accommodation, fires, around ten injured and a prime minister in a crisis meeting.
A large number of demonstrations have been derailed in the UK after the Southport stabbing.
The riots spread to additional cities during Saturday evening.
- Out with them, shout protesters.
Quick version
Violent demonstrations have taken place across the UK this week following the stabbing in Southport where three children died. The demonstrations began on Tuesday in the city. Then 39 policer officers were injured when a mosque was attacked.
On Wednesday, the demonstration moved to Downing Street in London.
Some of the demonstrators, described by the police as right-wing extremists, resorted to violence. Glass bottles, beer cans and flares were thrown as "We have failed our country" and "Stop the boats" were chanted.
The demonstrations, directed against Islam and immigration, and counter-demonstrations have continued into the weekend. During Saturday they took place in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Hull, Liverpool in England and Belfast in Northern Ireland. Some have been peaceful and some have been violent.
According to the police, the majority of the violent demonstrations were right-wing extremists, The Guardian reports.
The demonstrations are also based on the knife violence that has shaken the country in recent years.
Three police officers injured in Hull
One of the demonstrations took place in Hull, western England. Hundreds of people gathered there and it got rowdy.
According to the BBC, three police officers have been injured and four people have been arrested as a result of the riot. One of the channel's reporters on the spot testifies about protesters smashing hotel windows that were used as homes for asylum seekers.
The demonstrators outside are said to have shouted "out with them".
Counter-demonstrators were also present, behind a police barricade.
"Say it loud, say it clearly, refugees are welcome here".
At around 6.20pm the Hull Daily Mail reported a fire in the city.
"Never seen anything like it"
In Manchester, northwest England, there have been clashes between protesters and the police. According to the BBC, two people have been arrested.
A counter-demonstration is said to have also taken place in the city. The police, wearing riot gear, separated the two crowds.
According to The Guardian, 150 people participated in the demonstration "Stand up for your country: now it will be enough" and 350 in the counter-demonstration "Stop right-wing extremism".
A community coordinator at a mosque, Tracey Pook, told the newspaper that they closed their doors, canceled classes and told women and children not to attend. This is because of the threat from the far-right demonstrations in the city.
- I have never seen anything like it. It makes me sad. How will this honor the death of the three girls?
In the city of Stoke-on-Trent, roughly 80 kilometers south of the city, a person was injured after being hit by a blunt object thrown by someone. Four were also arrested. It is unclear which side the people involved were on. That according to the Manchester Evening News.
The Guardian reports that some of the far-right protesters threw stones and fireworks at the counter-demonstrators.
In Liverpool, about 20 miles from Southport where the stabbing took place, there was "serious commotion", according to the police. Several police officers were injured in those demonstrations and needed to be taken to hospital, writes the Daily Mail.
Bristol was also affected by similar demonstrations between left-wing and right-wing extremists, AP writes. Several people were arrested there.
False rumors on social media
After the stabbing, rumors spread on social media that the perpetrator is a Muslim and a refugee, which in turn led to the violent demonstrations.
Because of this, Judge Andrew Menary decided to identify the perpetrator, despite his young age, to stop the spread of misinformation, AP reports. Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Wales with parents from Rwanda, is in custody for the murders. According to The Mirror, he was raised in a Christian home.
Demonstrations outside Downing Street.
1 / 6Photo: Jordan Pettitt / AP
The Prime Minister in a crisis meeting
According to the BBC, British Prime Minister and Labor leader Keir Starmer will hold a crisis meeting regarding the tumult.
He is said to have started by thanking the police for their action in Sunderland during Friday's demonstration,where four officers were injured.
Starmer is also said to have called freedom of expression and violence "two very different things".
The meeting reportedly ended with the Prime Minister saying that all necessary measures must be put in place to keep the streets safe.
On Thursday, Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing populist party Reform UK, published a video on X.
- What is the Prime Minister's conclusion? It is simply only right-wing extremists, as if they are the ones creating all the problems, he says.
- No, the right-wing extremists are a reaction to a fear, discomfort, anxiety, which is shared by millions out there, he continues.
He also says that he is not behind street violence and that he wants to see a tougher stance from the police against crime.
Media attacked
Police in Belfast tell The Guardian they are treating reports of businesses damaged during the demonstration as hate crimes.
According to the BBC, counter-protesters have been attacked. The media on site also reportedly had objects thrown at them.
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