The UK is going through its worst wave of riots in 13 years, with far-right demonstrators targeting asylum seekers and ethnic minority communities across the country.
A storm of anti-Muslim disinformation on social media has fueled Islamophobic and far-right violence in the aftermath of the fatal stabbing attack in the northern English seaside town of Southport on July 29.
False reports spread by extremist far-right social media accounts claimed the suspect was a Muslim and a migrant, which were echoed in the mob’s Islamophobic vitriolic chants.
Police have so far said the suspect is a 17-year-old man who was born in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and lived in a village near Southport.
Timeline of Violence
July 29: In the seaside town of Southport, northwest England, three girls aged six, seven, and nine are fatally stabbed.
July 30: Riots erupt in Southport overnight. A mob of up to 300 people, including members of the English Defense League – an anti-Muslim far-right group, targets a mosque in the town, attacks police, torches cars and destroys properties, leaving at least 50 officers injured. Merseyside Police arrest four people.
July 31: The disorder spreads to Newton Heath, in north Manchester. Rioters target a Holiday Inn hotel that is believed to house asylum seekers, throwing missiles at police and attacking a bus driver. In Hartlepool, over 100 people clash with police, with some shouting anti-Islamic slurs. Violent scenes also unfold outside Downing Street in London, with rioters attacking police and throwing flares, resulting in over 100 arrests. A mob of about 200 people gathers outside a hotel in Aldershot that houses asylum seekers.
Aug. 2: Sunderland witnesses a lengthy riot in its city center. A car and a Citizens Advice Bureau are set ablaze, injuring several police officers.
Aug. 3: Far-right rallies spread to more cities across England and Belfast, Northern Ireland, resulting in over 100 arrests.
Aug. 4: The violence continues to escalate. In the northern town of Rotherham, hundreds of far-right demonstrators vandalize a Holiday Inn Express housing asylum seekers. Protesters throw bricks at police, break hotel windows, and set bins on fire. Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield of South Yorkshire Police condemns both the rioters and those who spread misinformation online. At least 10 officers have been injured, including one who has been left unconscious.
Widespread Unrest
In addition to the chaos in Rotherham, protests break out in Bolton, Greater Manchester, Middlesbrough, and other towns.
In Bolton, police issue a dispersal order as several hundred demonstrators and counter-demonstrators clash, throwing missiles and escalating tensions. In Middlesbrough, 300 protesters break through a police line in the city center, hurling projectiles and vandalizing cars, police vans, and buildings.
National Response
The National Police Chiefs’ Council announces the deployment of 4,000 extra officers across the country to handle the widespread disorder.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemns the targeting of Muslim and other ethnic minority communities, including attacks on mosques, and decries "wanton violence" by people displaying Nazi salutes.
South Yorkshire Police release a statement strongly condemning the violent acts in Rotherham.
"Those who simply stood on and watched the rioting were absolutely complicit in this," says Assistant Chief Constable Butterfield. The police emphasize that people who spread hate and misinformation online must take responsibility for inciting violence.
As the UK grapples with these violent demonstrations, more than 140 people have been arrested since Saturday night. The situation remains volatile, with authorities on high alert to prevent further outbreaks of violence.