Protests turned violent across Britain last week as anti-immigration protesters clashed with police following the murder of three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren by an African teenager.
Protesters throw trash bins into a fire outside a hotel in Rotherham, England on August 4
On August 4, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned far-right protesters that they would “regret” participating in the worst riots in Britain in 13 years, as violent protests over the murder of three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren erupted across the country, according to AFP news agency.
Several cities in the UK, including Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool and Hull, saw violent protests on August 3, nearly a week after a knife attack in the town of Southport left three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren dead and 10 injured.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Axel Rudakubana (17 years old) – 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in the UK to Rwandan parents – who went to a dance class in Southport town on July 29 and used a knife to attack, 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing three girls and injuring many others.
False information spread on social media that the suspect in the stabbing attack was a “ radical Muslim immigrant ”. Since then, riots involving hundreds of anti-immigration protesters have erupted in several towns and cities.
Police are deployed outside a hotel in Rotherham, England on August 4
According to Reuters, police have made it clear that suspect Axel Rudakubana was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Britain, but protests by anti-immigration and anti-Muslim protesters have continued, leading to violence, arson and looting.
The riots in Southport spread across Britain, with more than 100 people arrested in London on 31 July and a police station in Sunderland set on fire on 2 August.
Violence broke out in Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Belfast – four cities in different corners of the UK , with scuffles and stones and bottles thrown as anti-immigration protesters confronted anti-racist groups.
Several police officers were injured as they tried to break up clashes between hundreds of protesters. In Liverpool, two officers were taken to hospital with facial injuries, while another was pushed off a motorbike and attacked in the chaos involving hundreds of protesters.
In the town of Rotherham, masked anti-immigration protesters smashed several windows at a hotel being used to house asylum seekers.
US billionaire Elon Musk has expressed concern that the UK is on the brink of civil war. Commenting on a video on social network X that claimed unrest in the UK was due to uncontrolled immigration and open border policies, Mr Musk wrote: “Civil war is inevitable.”
The violent protests pose a major challenge to Prime Minister Starmer, who was elected just a month ago after leading the Labour Party to a landslide victory over the Conservatives.
He declared there was no justification for so-called “far-right thugs”, promising to bring the perpetrators to justice.
