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UK under pressure to end worst violent riots in 13 years

A police car is damaged in Bristol, southern England, on August 3, 2024 during the 'Enough is Enough' demonstration held in reaction to the fatal stabbings in Southport on July 29. (Photo by AFP)

The UK government is under heavy pressure to put an end to the far-right violent riots that have erupted across the country following a deadly stabbing attack that left three young girls dead earlier this week.

The unrest, the worst in 13 years, was stoked after misinformation spread rapidly on social media that the suspect in the knife attack at a dance class in the seaside town of Southport was a 17-year-old Muslim immigrant. He is not a Muslim and has not been named because of his age.

Far-right and anti-immigration demonstrations have continued protests, leading to violent clashes with police in multiple towns and cities.

On Sunday, masked anti-immigration demonstrators smashed several windows at a hotel that has been used to house asylum seekers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, marking the fifth day of skirmishes following the stabbing attack.  

The government said the police have “all the resources they need” to deal with the disorder, as thousands more forces have been deployed onto the streets to try to stop the violence from spreading further.

Policing Minister Diana Johnson said the rioting would “not be tolerated,” while Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood has insisted that “the whole justice system is ready to deliver convictions as quickly as possible.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is facing his first big test since being elected a month ago, has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred.”

On Monday, three young girls were killed and another eight children and two adults were injured when a 17-year-old boy went on a rampage through a dance class for children in Southport, near Liverpool on England’s northwest coast.

The police identified the suspect as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, born in Cardiff, Wales, who lived in a village near Southport.

Far-right groups have been using the deadly stabbing attack to vent xenophobic hatred. The groups have also been spreading false rumors that the attacker was carried out by a Muslim immigrant to be able to justify Islamophobic violence.


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