Britain is keeping thousands of specialised police on duty in case of racist rioting at the weekend and the government said it was considering tightening regulations around social media companies after days of unrest driven by online misinformation.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said extra police numbers and swift justice had deterred people he referred to as “far-right thugs” since Wednesday, but that the authorities would stay on high alert for further trouble.
Racist attacks and disorder have mostly targeted Muslims and migrants. Hotels housing asylum seekers have had their windows smashed and mosques have been pelted with rocks.
Those involved in the riots could expect to be brought before the courts, Mr Starmer said, noting that what he called “significant sentences” had already been handed out.
Donald Trump’s return adds urgency and uncertainty to third winter of full Russia-Ukraine war
Matt Gaetz perched on the tightrope between political glory and infamy
Vote on assisted dying Bill due to be a cliffhanger as Britain’s Labour opposition mounts
China may be better prepared for Trump this time
“That is a very important part of the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further disorder,” he told reporters during a visit to a police command centre in London.
It is not clear how many far-right gatherings are planned or if they will go ahead. There are about 40 counter-protests due on Saturday, according to the Stand Up to Racism group.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said 6,000 public order-trained officers would remain on duty over the weekend.
“While the previous two nights have been a welcome break from the appalling scenes of the last week, and may have reached a turning point, we are by no means complacent,” said Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC chairman.
“We are working hard to bring this disorder to an end, but arrests are just getting started.”
By Friday almost 600 people had been arrested for involvement in, or online encouragement of, attacks on Muslim, immigration and other sites as well as police since late last month, with a 13-year-old among those charged.
Data released on Friday by the Home Office showed that more than 150 of those charged had already appeared in court. Dozens had been jailed with cases fast-tracked through the justice system and more were due to be sentenced on Friday.
Charges have also been brought against people involved in counter-protests.
Prosecutors said a local councillor, who was suspended by Mr Starmer’s Labour Party on Thursday after footage emerged of him calling for people to cut the throats of “disgusting Nazi fascists”, had been charged with encouraging violent disorder and would appear at court on Friday.
The riots broke out across England after a wave of false online posts wrongly identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack on July 29th in Southport as an Islamist migrant.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas–Symonds told Sky News on Friday the government would revisit the framework of the country’s Online Safety Act, which regulates social media companies’ responsibilities regarding content inciting violence or hate.
“We stand ready to make changes if necessary,” he said of the act, passed in October but not due to come into effect until next year due to a consultation process.
Predicted widespread far-right riots failed to materialise on Wednesday, when thousands of counter-protesters took the streets across the country, giving hope to authorities and worried community leaders that the disorder was fizzling out.
“We have to stay on high alert going into this weekend,” Mr Starmer told reporters. – Reuters
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis