LONDON: As the UK struggles with the greatest social unrest it has seen in years, rioters on Sunday set fire to and broke into hotels designated to house asylum seekers in northern England. The stabbing deaths of three young girls in Southport, northwest England, earlier last week catalyzed the violence, according to CNN.
To incite anti-Muslim and anti-immigration demonstrations, the far right has exploited and disseminated a surge of misinformation, including unfounded allegations that the assailant was an immigrant. The suspect was born in Britain, according to police.
News outlet CNN geolocated footage shows demonstrators attacking and burning two Holiday Inn hotels in northern England on Sunday: one in Rotherham and one in Tamworth, which had previously been criticised by a local lawmaker for hosting asylum seekers. Local officials said that demonstrators in Tamworth injured one police officer by throwing projectiles, smashing windows, and starting fires.
How is this England right now 😔 #riots #liverpool #hull #bristol #nottingham #manchester pic.twitter.com/auO1gvfrci
— Imogen Rose • (@imogenrose) August 3, 2024
Meanwhile, police in Rotherham reported that demonstrators broke windows, flung wooden planks, attacked policemen with fire extinguishers and set fire to other objects in an attempt to enter the premises. Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield said in a statement that the hotel in Rotherham was at the time “full of terrified residents and staff,” according to CNN.
The UK’s minister of police has stated that far-right rioters who have caused disturbances will be dealt with “nick them quick,” but he has also stated that the army is not necessary.
Just weeks after taking office, Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces a formidable battle from the violent upheaval, which is the worst since the 2011 riots. In reaction to recent attacks, the UK Home Office declared on Sunday that mosques would receive “greater protection with new emergency security”, in the country.
Under the new arrangements, “the police, local authorities and mosques can ask for rapid security to be deployed, protecting communities and allowing for a return to worship as quickly as possible,” the Home Office said, according to CNN.
Starmer shared a post on X and wrote, “I utterly condemn the far-right thuggery we have seen this weekend. Be in no doubt: those who have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law”. In his video message on X, he issued a stern warning to those involved in the recent violence and riots and emphasized that the full force of the law would be brought to bear on individuals who participated in the violence, whether directly or indirectly.
“Be in no doubt, those who have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law. The police will be making arrests, individuals will be held on remand, charges will follow and convictions will follow. I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves”, said the UK PM.
“This is not a protest. It is organised violent thuggery. And it has no place on our streets or online. Right now, there are attacks happening on a hotel in Rotherham. Marauding gangs intent on law-breaking. Or worse, windows smashed. Fire set ablaze”, he added. (ANI)