British Muslims are patrolling cities looking for Islamophobes in response to the burning of mosques, battering of Muslims, and damage to their property. The government prepared a massive police response in case of further riots this weekend.
After days of riots targeting Muslims and hotels housing migrants, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Friday, 9 August, an increase in police deployment and “swift justice.” However, the violence began to subside from Wednesday.
That is a very important part of the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further disorder.
Around 600 arrests have been carried out since riots erupted across the country following online reports of a stabbing on 29 July in Southport, northwest England. Misinformation that an Islamic migrant had killed three girls spread online rapidly, sparking widespread anti-migrant and Muslim riots.
Over 6,000 officers trained in public order policing would be on duty this weekend, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Gavin Stephens, announced.
It’s probably one of the strongest national policing responses that we’ve ever done, certainly in my career history.
During the riots, more than 150 people were charged, dozens were sentenced to long prison terms, with cases swiftly processed by the court system. Two of those sentenced were jailed for inciting racial hatred via X and Facebook posts. Police stated that the arrests would continue for several months.
Charges were also brought against some people involved in counter-protests.
A local councillor who was suspended by Starmer’s party on Thursday after footage emerged of him urging people to slit the throats of “disgusting Nazi fascists” was charged with inciting violent disorder, prosecutors reported. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the government would review the structure of legislation regulating the liability of social media companies for content that incited violence or hatred.
We stand ready to make changes if necessary.
