The UK’s policing minister has said that there will be a “nick them quick” approach to far-right rioters who have caused unrest across the country this week, but added there was no need to bring in the army.
In comments to the BBC, Dame Diana Johnson stressed that the plan was to carry out swift arrests and charges in order to take rioters off the street as quickly as possible and act as a deterrent to prevent further unrest.
Her words come after more than 90 people were arrested in cities and towns across the country on Saturday and authorities put extra measures in place to maintain order. The UK is bracing for a new wave of protests on Sunday, after a stabbing attack in northwest England this week sparked disorder fueled by the far right.
The violent unrest is the worst seen in years and provides a huge challenge to the Labour government of Keir Starmer just weeks after it won power.
“We’ve seen obviously, arrest which is very important, and we want to send a very clear message that if people get involved in this criminal disorder, that they will be brought to account. They will be charged, they will be taken to court, and there will be penalties,” Johnson said.
There have been discussions to bring in the army to assist police, but currently “there is no need to bring in the army,” Johnson said. “The police have made it very clear that they have all the resources they need at the moment. There’s mutual aid, as I’ve just described, and they have the powers that they need.”
Several UK cities saw violent protests on Saturday. Many demonstrators chanted anti-immigrant and anti-Islam slogans. In Liverpool, PA Media reported that a community library was set on fire, with rioters trying to stop firefighters tackled the blaze.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper denounced the incidents of public disorder and unrest on Saturday and said “thuggery” won’t be tolerated.
“That’s why we are ensuring additional prosecutors this weekend, the courts stand ready as well,” she said. “We have to make sure that anyone who engages in this kind of unacceptable disorder will pay the price.”
Since the stabbing in Southport, which left three children dead during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class, tensions have been rising across UK cities. The stabbing fueled a wave of online misinformation, which included false claims that the Southport attacker was an immigrant who had arrived in the UK illegally.
UK police have confirmed that the 17-year-old attacker was born in the Welsh capital of Cardiff.
Joe Mulhall, Director of Research at Hope Not Hate – a charity which campaigns against racism and fascism – has warned that the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has become a central space for the spreading of dangerous disinformation and the promotion of the protests.
“A number of the most important figures spreading disinformation and exacerbating tensions, most notably Stephen Lennon (a.k.a. Tommy Robinson), had previously been de-platformed on X but have been given their accounts back since Elon Musk took control of the platform.
“This has resulted in far-right extremists once again being able to reach millions of people with their dangerous and divisive propaganda.”