British authorities announced on Thursday that they are preparing for potential further unrest, even as they praised anti-racism campaigners and police officers for largely preventing a wave of far-right demonstrations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a warning after a week of anti-immigrant violence affected communities across the UK, from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. Speaking at a mosque in Solihull near Birmingham, where demonstrators had shut down a shopping center on Sunday, Starmer emphasized the importance of continued vigilance.
During an emergency meeting with law enforcement officers, Starmer urged the police to remain on "high alert," according to the Press Association. He attributed the minimal trouble the previous night to strategic police deployments and swift legal actions against rioters, which served as a deterrent. Police across the UK had been on standby for potential widespread disorder on Wednesday after far-right activists listed more than 100 sites they intended to target, including offices of immigration lawyers and other migrant services. However, these demonstrations did not occur as expected, as police and counter-protesters took to the streets in large numbers.
Holding signs reading "Refugees Welcome" and chanting "Whose streets? Our streets," people gathered to protect asylum service centers and immigration attorneys' offices. The government declared a national critical incident, putting 6,000 specially trained police officers on standby. While most protests and counter-protests were peaceful, a few arrests were made.
"The show of force from the police and, frankly, the show of unity from communities together defeated the challenges that we faced," said Commissioner Mark Rowley of the London Metropolitan Police Service. "It went off very peacefully last night, and the fears of extreme right disorder were abated." Tensions, however, remain high after right-wing agitators fueled violence by spreading misinformation about the suspect in a knife attack that killed three young girls in Southport. Police reported on Thursday that the last child hospitalized from the July 29 stabbing has been released.
Nearly 500 people have been arrested nationwide after anti-immigrant mobs clashed with police, attacked mosques, and overran two hotels housing asylum-seekers. Among those arrested was a man in his 50s, suspected of "encouraging murder," following a local Labour councilor's alleged remark about cutting the throats of far-right protesters. The Labour Party suspended Ricky Jones, who reportedly made this statement during a London demonstration on Wednesday.
The government has vowed to track down and prosecute those responsible for the unrest, including individuals inciting violence online. To discourage future disturbances, authorities allowed TV cameras into Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, where Judge Andrew Menary sentenced two men to 32 months in prison. Video footage shown in court depicted rioters throwing bricks at police and setting fire to garbage cans. One suspect was seen in a group that ripped a bumper off a police vehicle and hurled it at officers, as bystanders cheered.
"It seems to me there were hundreds of people observing, as if this was some sort of Tuesday night entertainment," Menary remarked. "All of them should be frankly ashamed of themselves."
Northern Ireland’s regional legislative assembly convened on Thursday to address the unrest. Minister for Justice Naomi Long condemned the recent violence and racist attacks, stating they did not reflect the values of the people of Northern Ireland.
"We need to call it for what it is. It is racism, it is Islamophobia, it is xenophobia," Long said. "If we’re going to deal with it, we need to name it for what it is, and we need to challenge it."
The government is also considering sanctions beyond jail time, such as banning rioters from attending soccer matches. Home Office Minister Diana Johnson told LBC Radio that there should be repercussions for those involved in the unrest.
"I think all options are being looked at, to be honest, and I am pretty clear that most football clubs do not want to be seen to have football hooligans and people carrying out criminal acts on the streets of the local communities in their stands on a Saturday," Johnson stated.