TALLIS
Keir Starmer’s Labour government is trying to convince the population of its ability to contain the violent protests spurred by the far right, after another day of clashes in several cities on Saturday, with almost 100 arrests.
The riots, which sometimes target mosques or asylum seekers’ hostels, began after rumours about the nationality and religion of the alleged attacker who killed three girls on Monday in the northwest English town of Southport went viral on social media, spread by far-right influencers.
Demonstrations organized in several cities ended in riots in several cities on Saturday, especially in Liverpool (northwest), Hull (northeast), Belfast (Northern Ireland) and Leeds (north).
There were clashes between protesters and police, as well as with counter-demonstrators mobilized by anti-racist associations.
Several police officers were injured, according to security forces.
Police forces announced on Sunday that more than 90 people had been arrested, 23 in Liverpool, 20 in Hull, 20 in Blackpool (northwest) and 14 in Bristol (southwest). More demonstrations are planned for today.
This is the third day of violence after riots broke out in Sunderland (northeast) on Friday, in several cities, including London, on Wednesday, and in Southport on Tuesday, a day after the knife attack.
The country had not seen a similar outbreak of violence since 2011, after the killing of a young man, Mark Duggan, by police in north London, according to British media.
A
month after taking office, Starmer faces his first crisis, on a particularly sensitive issue, since, during the campaign, the Conservatives accused Labour of being negligent on security and immigration.
Since Monday, he has been multiplying messages of firmness and assurances of support for the police forces against what he describes as “hatred of the extreme right”, accusing the protesters of being “bandits”.
After an emergency meeting with his top ministers on Saturday, he warned that the government would support the police in taking “all necessary measures to keep the streets safe.”
Asked about the possibility of using the armed forces, Diana Johnson, the minister responsible for policing, told the BBC on Sunday that the police “have all the resources they need”.
The demonstrations, organized under the slogan “Enough is Enough,” chanted anti-immigration and Islamophobic slogans while waving British flags.
Although the condemnation of the violence is unanimous, criticism of the government is beginning to emerge.
Former Conservative Party Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government “runs the risk of appearing to be involved in events, rather than maintaining control.”
“In the last two weeks, under Labour, we have had knife attacks on innocent people, street fights with machetes, riots and violence at demonstrations,” the anti-immigration Reform UK party said on X, accusing Labour of being “negligent with criminals”.
