Despite a heavy police presence and a surge of counter-protesters, an anticipated night of far-right rioting in the UK was averted on Wednesday. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted that authorities will maintain a crackdown on the violent disorder that has plagued British streets in recent days, Bloomberg reports.
Starmer convened an emergency meeting with law enforcement officials on Thursday to assess the situation and plan for the future.
The unrest, which initially stemmed from the fatal stabbing of three young girls and false rumors about the attacker’s identity, quickly escalated into anti-immigration and racist violence. Online agitators had urged supporters to target immigration-related facilities, prompting police to deploy 6,000 specialist officers to protect those areas.
Instead of further violence, however, the night saw large crowds expressing their opposition to the recent unrest. Counter-protesters waved signs rejecting bigotry and racism in cities like Newcastle and Birmingham, while police observed the gatherings in London.
The situation in Northern Ireland remains more volatile, with concerns that far-right groups from the Republic of Ireland are collaborating with loyalist paramilitary groups to fuel unrest in Belfast. The devolved assembly is holding an emergency meeting to address the situation.
The relative calm on Wednesday night offers a respite for the police and Starmer, whose administration is facing its first major test in handling the unrest.
The government has prioritized swift arrests and convictions for those involved in the riots and online incitement of violence, with the first jail sentences handed down within a week. This approach echoes tactics employed by Starmer during his time as director of public prosecutions following the last major wave of rioting in the UK in 2011.
Police forces have acknowledged being surprised by the rapid spread of the violence after the murders in Southport. Even after the judge in the case took the unusual step of naming the teenage suspect to dispel the online rumors, the rioting continued.
