UK in chaos as riots erupt across multiple cities, towns
The rioters continue to rule a number of cities and towns of the United Kingdom with reports of violent attacks on police and security personnel being reported from various places Sunday August 04, 2024
London: The rioters continue to rule a number of cities and towns of the United Kingdom with reports of violent attacks on police and security personnel being reported from various places Sunday August 04, 2024.
Tension between far right anti-migrant groups and immigrants in the United Kingdom. The reason behind the latest escalation however is the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in Southport, Merseyside Monday.
A 17-year-old male has been arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the attack.
Police have clarified that the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, was born in Wales to Rwandan parents. Despite this, protests by anti-immigration and anti-immigrant demonstrators have continued, escalating into violence, arson, and looting.
As of Sunday, reports of protests and counter protests are being reported from various places of the United Kingdom.
In Leeds, around 150 people carrying St George’s Cross flags, shouting “you’re not English any more” and “paedo Muslims off our street”, were greatly outnumbered by hundreds of counter-protesters shouting “Nazi scum off our streets”, according to The Guardian.
Skirmishes and violent clashes are also reported from Blackpool. In cities, including Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Belfast, amid clashes bottles were thrown, shops were looted and police officers were attacked.
Video footage on social media showed a police station in Sunderland in flames even as security personnel in riot gears watch helplessly and fire fighters struggle to contain the fire.
Mosques tighten security
Following the spread of the false information that the accused in the girls’ murders was a migrant Muslim, shops and properties belonging to them were primary targets.
In the wake of these attacked, mosques across the United Kingdom have strengthened security arrangements for the weekend, the Muslim Council of Britain said following a security briefing with hundreds of representatives from mosques and Islamic centres.
The director of Tell Mama, a group which monitors anti-Muslim incidents across the UK, says there has been an increase in reports from British Muslims expressing concerns for their safety, according to BBC.
Iman Atta tells BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme that people "are scared to go to their mosques" and she has received "many" reports of Muslim women being targeted in the wake of the unrest across the country.
“What we're seeing on our streets need to stop,” Atta says, adding “we need to call it out as it is".
Organising tactics of the far-right
In an analysis, British broadcaster BBC highlighted how the far right groups, especially the English Defence League (EDL) - a far right and Islamophobic organisation in England, are inciting violence.
Merseyside Police have publicly identified the English Defence League (EDL) as a key factor in the violence.
The BBC said its analysis revealed a clear pattern of influencers driving a message for people to gather for protests.
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