Thousands of riot police on standby as UK braces for more riots
Police in riot gear during an anti COVID-19 vaccination demonstration on Whitehall, in London, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. AP-Yonhap
Thousands of riot police stood ready Wednesday as Britain remained on alert for disturbances during far-right protests across the country.
Nightly riots, during which mosques and migrant targets have been attacked, erupted after three children were murdered on July 29.
Police said they were investigating several racially-motivated hate crimes in Belfast on Tuesday, including an attack on a young boy that left him with minor facial injuries.
And far-right groups plan demonstrations Wednesday in more than 30 locations, with immigration lawyers and buildings hosting asylum seekers primary targets, according to posts on messaging app Telegram leaked to the British media.
The government has said 6,000 specialist police are on standby to deal with the disorder, which has seen more than 425 people arrested and at least 120 charged, according to latest police figures.
The violence broke out after girls aged nine, seven and six were killed and five more children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, north west England.
False rumours initially spread on social media saying the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales. UK media reported that his parents are from Rwanda.
Despite the police statement, initial disturbances in Southport centred around a mosque, and widespread violence has rocked England and Northern Ireland since.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer late Tuesday warned anyone involved would face "the full force of the law", including those inciting violence online.
Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, said he expected "substantive sentencing before the end of this week" for the rioters.
"That should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online," he added in televised comments.
The unrest, Britain's worst since the 2011 London riots, has led a number of countries to warn citizens about travelling in Britain. (AFP)