‘Far-Right Rioters Will Face Consequences’ — PM Starmer

UK Leader Warns Far-Right Extremists

Starmer stands firm against immigrant targeting...

UK riots: Far-right protesters clash with police and counter-demonstrators amid misinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment, sparking widespread violence and unrest across England.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a stern warning to far-right protesters on Sunday, stating they would face consequences for participating in the country's worst rioting in 13 years. The unrest, sparked by misinformation about the murder of three children in Southport, has escalated across England for a fifth day.

The disturbances have affected multiple towns and cities, with anti-immigration demonstrators clashing with police. The violence poses a significant challenge for Prime Minister Starmer, who was elected just a month ago after leading Labour to a landslide victory over the Conservatives.

“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder. Whether directly or those whipping up this action online, and then running away themselves,” Starmer said in on 

Sunday

Prime Minister Starmer condemned the violent actions of far-right rioters, stating there was “no justification” for their behavior, which he described as “far-right thuggery.” He vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice.

In Rotherham, rioters were seen storming a Holiday Inn Express, pushing a burning bin into the building. It's unclear if asylum seekers were present at the time. Meanwhile, in Middlesbrough, hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police, throwing objects like bricks, cans, and pots at officers.

The latest wave of unrest follows a day of chaos on Saturday, which saw over 90 arrests made across the UK and Northern Ireland. Skirmishes broke out at far-right rallies in multiple cities, including Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool, Hull, and Belfast, leading to the arrests.

Rioters engaged in violent behavior, hurling bricks, bottles, and flares at police, resulting in injuries to several officers. They also looted and set fire to shops, while shouting anti-Islamic slurs during clashes with counter-protesters. This wave of violence is the most severe England has experienced since 2011, when widespread rioting erupted in response to the police shooting of a mixed-race man in north London, sparking a summer of unrest.

“We're now seeing it (trouble) flooding across major cities and towns,” said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Riots initially erupted in Southport on Tuesday night, following a deadly knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party the previous evening. The violence then spread across England, fueled by false social media rumors about the background of Axel Rudakubana, the 17-year-old British-born suspect accused of killing three children and injuring 10 others. 

Authorities have attributed the riots to supporters and affiliated groups of the English Defence League, a far-right, anti-Islam organization founded 15 years ago, whose members have been linked to football hooliganism.

Far-right agitators have targeted at least two mosques, prompting the UK interior ministry to offer emergency security measures to Islamic places of worship on Sunday. The far-right rallies, promoted on social media channels with the slogan “Enough is enough,” have featured participants waving English and British flags while chanting anti-immigrant slogans like “Stop the boats.” 

Meanwhile, anti-fascist counter-protesters have held rallies in cities like Leeds, where they clashed with far-right demonstrators, chanting “Nazi scum off our streets” in response to the far-right's “You're not English anymore.”

Not all the gatherings have descended into violence. In contrast, a peaceful rally in Aldershot, southern England, on Sunday featured participants holding placards with messages such as “Stop the invasion” and “We're not far right, we're just right,” reflecting a more subdued tone.