LONDON (AP) — Police across the U.K. are bracing for more violence Saturday following another night of rioting by far-right protesters that saw three officers hospitalized after a tense stand-off outside a mosque in northeast England.
In the city of Sunderland, protesters Friday evening tossed beer barrels, fire extinguishers and rocks at police officers. A car was set ablaze, and a police station was attacked. The protests over the past few days and nights have ostensibly erupted after a 17-year-old was arrested over Monday’s stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three girls dead and several wounded.
False rumors spread online about the young man’s identity, being a Muslim and an immigrant, fueled anger among far-right supporters. Suspects under 18 are usually not named in the U.K., but Judge Andrew Menary ordered Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Wales to Rwandan parents, be identified, in part to stop the spread of misinformation.
“Anyone involved in the disorder we have seen can expect to be dealt with robustly and that action has already begun,” said Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Helena Barron. “Eight people have so far been arrested for a range of offenses, including violent disorder and burglary.”
Barron said three officers were taken to hospital, and that one has been discharged.
Britain’s new Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on X Saturday that criminals attacking the police and stoking disorder will “pay the price” for their thuggery and that the police have the full backing of the government to “take the strongest possible action.”
More than 20 protests are expected over the weekend, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester. Police said many are being organized online by shadowy far-right groups, who are mobilizing support with phrases like “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats.” Counter-protests are also anticipated with the organization Stand Up To Racism rallying against Islamophobia and the far-right.
Police have deployed more officers over the weekend, made more prison cells available and will deploy surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Far-right demonstrators have held several violent protests since the attack, clashing with police Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport — near the scene of the horrific stabbing — and hurling beer cans, bottles and flares near the prime minister’s office in London the next day.
The attack Monday on children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare.
Rudakubana, has been charged with murder over the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He also has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were wounded.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the mayhem. He said police across the U.K. would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown in law and order on our streets.”
At a news conference Thursday, the prime minister said the street violence was “clearly driven by far-right hatred” as he announced a program enabling police to better share intelligence across agencies and move quickly to make arrests.
“This is coordinated; this is deliberate,” Starmer said. “This is not a protest that has got out of hand. It is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”