British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed that violent protesters targeting Muslim communities will face the “full force of the law” as he addresses a wave of anti-immigration rioting sweeping the country.
The recent fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport has been exploited by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups. Disinformation spread online, and amplified by prominent far-right figures, has sparked widespread unrest in towns and cities.
Starmer, addressing the media after an emergency meeting with police and prison officials, stated, “Regardless of the motivations, this is not a protest; it is pure violence, and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities.” He asserted that all identified participants in the violence would be held accountable under the law.
Since the unrest began, police have arrested 378 individuals and warned of “lengthy prison terms” for those involved in violent disorder. The violence started after social media posts falsely suggested that the suspect in Southport was a radical Islamist from abroad. However, police have confirmed that the 17-year-old suspect was born in Britain and is not being treated as a terrorist.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper criticised the rioters for exploiting the situation to incite racial hatred, stating, “Reasonable people do not resort to throwing bricks at the police.”
The protests, involving mostly a few hundred participants, have led to looting, attacks on mosques and businesses, and vehicle fires. Unverified social media videos have also shown ethnic minorities being assaulted. On Monday evening, unrest spread to Plymouth, where anti-immigration protesters clashed with counter-protesters, leading to injuries among police officers.
In Rotherham, protesters attempted to breach a hotel housing asylum seekers, an act Starmer denounced as “far-right thuggery”. Northern Ireland’s assembly will convene early to address the situation.
Police have attributed the violence partly to online disinformation, notably spread by figures like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. Elon Musk, owner of X, also contributed to the discourse, suggesting that “civil war is inevitable,” a comment that Starmer’s spokesperson condemned. Musk later criticised Starmer for advocating specific protections for mosques.
In response to the escalating situation, technology minister Peter Kyle met with social media representatives to stress the need for swift action against hate speech and incitement to violence.
The British Bangladeshi community, as expressed by lawyer MA Gani in Whitechapel, is “living in fear” amid the heightened activity of far-right groups. Gani urged the government to take decisive action to calm the situation.
