UK on 'alert' over risk of violence despite return to calm

British authorities remained “on high alert” on Friday despite some calm returning after ten days of racist and Islamophobic riots across the United Kingdom, with the government counting on swift judicial convictions to discourage further clashes.

Despite residual incidents in Northern Ireland on Thursday evening, the rest of the country has not seen a new outbreak of violence since Tuesday, and on Wednesday thousands of people mobilized peacefully in the streets of several cities against racism and Islamophobia.

But as the weekend approaches, the government is particularly concerned that the resumption of the national football championship could give rise to new tensions, while the extreme right has historical links with hooligan circles.

On Friday morning, continuing the tough rhetoric he has adopted since the start of this crisis, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on the police to remain “on alert” in order to “keep our communities safe”.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a visit to a London police command centre.

Thousands of law enforcement officers have been mobilised since the riots broke out last Tuesday, following a knife attack in the north-west of England, in which three young girls were killed.

Nearly 500 people have been arrested, around 150 have been charged and the courts have begun to hand down dozens of convictions against rioters.

The Prime Minister said he was “absolutely convinced” that this “rapid” police and judicial response had “had a real effect” in the absence of further violence in England since Tuesday.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Especially since the news channels are broadcasting live some court hearings during which rioters, who have pleaded guilty, are being notified of their sentence.

– Online hate in court –

Many of them have been sentenced to several years in prison for having participated in the violence and clashes against the police.

And for the first time on Friday, the courts will hand down the first sentences targeting people accused of having contributed to spreading hate messages on social networks in connection with the riots.

In Leeds, a 38-year-old man pleaded guilty to having published messages inciting racial hatred on Facebook, in particular calling for an attack on a hotel in the city where asylum seekers are housed.

The building had indeed been targeted, with protesters throwing stones and smashing windows.

The violence erupted after rumours spread online that the suspect in the Southport stabbing was a Muslim asylum seeker. The 17-year-old boy, who was charged and detained, was in fact born in Wales, according to police. Media reports said the parents were from Rwanda.

On Thursday, a 55-year-old woman was arrested for posting a message on social media in which she mentioned false information about the identity of the suspect.

Social media “is not a lawless zone,” Keir Starmer insisted on Friday, promising that the government would “look into” the issue, after having already warned social media and its leaders in recent days.

These convictions should, according to him, serve as a “reminder.” “Whether you were directly involved (in the violence) or you acted remotely, you are guilty, and you will be brought to justice if you have broken the law,” he insisted.

Some, like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, are calling on the government to review a new online safety law passed last year that has not yet fully come into force.

“I don't think it's fit for purpose,” the Muslim London mayor told the Guardian.

All rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse