British police are gearing up for another night of violence amid concerns that far-right groups plan to target as many as 30 locations around the United Kingdom on Wednesday following a week of rioting and disorder. Authorities are mobilizing about 6,000 specially trained officers to respond to disorder throughout the U.K., and London’s Metropolitan Police Service said it would do “everything in our power” to protect the capital. “We know about the events planned by hateful and divisive groups across the capital,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of the Met said late Tuesday. “They’ve made their intention to cause disruption and division very clear … We will not tolerate this on our streets.”
Quick Read
- UK police prepare for another night of violence as country reels from disorder: British police are bracing for further unrest as far-right groups plan to target up to 30 locations nationwide on Wednesday after a week of riots and clashes.
- Authorities mobilize 6,000 specially trained officers: Police forces across the UK are deploying thousands of officers to address potential violence, with London’s Metropolitan Police Service vowing to protect the capital.
- Violence fueled by misinformation: Riots have been triggered by false claims identifying the suspect in a stabbing rampage in Southport as an immigrant and Muslim, leading to attacks on mosques and asylum-seeker housing.
- Far-right extremists target specific sites: Online groups have circulated lists of immigration law firms and advice agencies as targets for gatherings, urging participants to conceal their identities.
- Government response: Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a COBRA emergency meeting to address the crisis, labeling the unrest as “far-right thuggery” and pledging to prosecute those responsible.
- Measures to protect mosques: New measures have been announced to safeguard mosques, with London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for hate and urging Londoners to support minority communities.
The Associated Press has the story:
UK police prepare for another night of violence as country reels from disorder
Newslooks- LONDON (AP) —
British police are gearing up for another night of violence amid concerns that far-right groups plan to target as many as 30 locations around the United Kingdom on Wednesday following a week of rioting and disorder. Authorities are mobilizing about 6,000 specially trained officers to respond to disorder throughout the U.K., and London’s Metropolitan Police Service said it would do “everything in our power” to protect the capital. “We know about the events planned by hateful and divisive groups across the capital,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of the Met said late Tuesday. “They’ve made their intention to cause disruption and division very clear … We will not tolerate this on our streets.”
U.K. cities and towns across have been wracked by violence for the past week as angry mobs egged on by far-right extremists have clashed with police and counterdemonstrators sparked by the spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect in a stabbing rampage that killed three young girls in the seaside community of Southport. The suspect was falsely identified as an immigrant and a Muslim. Rioters spouting anti-immigrant slogans have attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum-seekers, with reports emerging of violent counterattacks in some communities.
Internet chat groups have shared a list of law firms specializing in immigration and advice agencies as possible targets for gatherings Wednesday. The messages have invited people to “mask up” if attending. Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a second consecutive meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency response committee on Tuesday to coordinate the response to the crisis, which he has described as “far-right thuggery.” Police have already made more than 400 arrests around the country, and the government has pledged to prosecute and jail those responsible for the disorder. The government has also announced new measures to protect mosques.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a post on X that the police, city hall and community leaders are working to protect targeted buildings and places of worship. Those involved in the disorder will feel the full force of the law, he said. “I know the shocking scenes have left many Muslims and minority ethnic communities scared and fearful, so I ask my fellow Londoners to check on their friends and neighbors and show them that care and compassion is what Londoners are all about,” he said. “In London, we have zero-tolerance for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of hate.”
