LONDON (AP) — British police are get going for another night of violence amid concerns far-right groups are planning to attack around 30 locations across the UK on Wednesday following a week of rioting and disorder.
Authorities are mobilising around 6,000 specially trained officers to respond to disorder across the UK, and London’s Metropolitan Police Service said it would do “everything in its power” to protect the capital.
“We are aware of events being planned by hateful and divisive groups across the capital,” Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said on Tuesday night. “They have made their intention to cause disruption and division very clear… We will not tolerate this on our streets.”
Over the past week, British cities and towns have been rocked by violence, with angry crowds, incited by far-right extremists, clashing with police and counter-protesters, spurred on by the spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect in a stabbing who killed three young girls in the seaside town of Southport. The suspect was falsely identified as an immigrant and as a Muslim.
Rioters shouting anti-immigrant slogans have attacked mosques and hotels where asylum seekers are housedwith reports of violent counter-attacks in some communities.
Internet chat groups have shared a list of law firms specializing in immigration and consulting as possible targets for Wednesday’s rallies. The posts have invited people to wear a “mask” if they attend.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a second consecutive meeting of the government’s COBRA emergency response committee on Tuesday to coordinate the response to the crisis, which he described as “far-right villainy.”
Police have made more than 400 arrests across the country and the government has vowed to prosecute and jail those responsible for the unrest.
The government has also announced new measures to protect mosques.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a message on X that police, City Hall and community leaders were working to protect targeted buildings and places of worship. Those caught up in the disorder would face the full force of the law, he said.
“I know the shocking scenes have left many Muslim and ethnic minority communities feeling fear and anxiety, so I urge my fellow Londoners to keep an eye on their friends and neighbours and show them that care and compassion are at the heart of London,” he said. “In London, we have zero tolerance for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of hatred.”
