Widest Protests in 13 Years: Violence and Chaos in Britain

Renewed violence on the streets of Britain on Saturday resulted in property damage and injuries to several police officers as they attempted to control ongoing disturbances that have persisted for four days following the murder of three young girls in northwest England last week. These protests are the largest in the country in 13 years. Riots involving hundreds of anti-immigration protesters erupted in several towns and cities over the past few days after false information circulated online, suggesting that a Muslim migrant was suspected of carrying out a knife attack on children during a dance party in Southport on Monday. The police state that the suspect, Axel Rodakubana, is 17 years old and was born in Cardiff, Wales. However, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim protests continued and escalated into violence and riots, with Sunderland in northeast England being the site of the latest protest on Friday evening. Liverpool police on Saturday reported that several officers were injured while trying to manage a "serious disturbance" in the city center. Violent protests also broke out in Bristol, Hull, and Belfast across different parts of Britain, with clashes occurring as anti-immigration protesters and anti-racism activists exchanged stones and bottles. Many security personnel were injured while attempting to prevent skirmishes between hundreds of protesters on both sides. The police reported that at least two stores in Liverpool were vandalized and looted. Authorities in Hull, east England, stated that four protesters were arrested, and three of their officers were injured while managing the protests. Authorities have requested mosques nationwide to enhance their security measures, while police deployed more personnel. Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused the "far-right" of inciting violence and expressed his support for police enforcement actions. Starmer's office indicated that the Prime Minister discussed the unrest with several senior officials on Saturday. The last time Britain witnessed such widespread large-scale violence was in 2011 when thousands took to the streets for five nights following the police shooting of a Black man in London.