LONDON: Thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets across the UK on Saturday to denounce recent rioting linked to the far-right, following the Southport knife attack that claimed the lives of three children.
Demonstrations were held in major cities including London, Glasgow, Belfast, and Manchester, as well as other towns and cities in England. Despite concerns of clashes with anti-immigration agitators, the protests proceeded peacefully.
The protests followed a similar pattern seen on Wednesday night, where anticipated far-right rallies were instead replaced by gatherings organized by the Stand Up To Racism advocacy group.
The unrest had previously spread to over a dozen locations in England and Belfast, triggered by the July 29 stabbing spree. Social media misinformation wrongly attributed the attack to a Muslim immigrant, fueling riots that targeted mosques, hotels linked to immigration, police, and vehicles.
Recent nights have seen a decrease in violence, prompting hope among authorities that the more than 700 arrests and ongoing prosecutions, which authorities hope have deterred further disturbances.
In Northern Ireland, however, unrest continued with a suspected racially motivated hate crime being investigated.
A petrol bomb was thrown at a mosque in Newtownards early Saturday, though it failed to ignite. Graffiti was also sprayed on the building. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has vowed to take a strong stance against hate crimes.
Damage to property and vehicles was also reported in Belfast as the unrest persisted, influenced by both the unrest in England and local pro-UK loyalist paramilitaries.
In Belfast, around 5,000 anti-racism protesters gathered peacefully. Meanwhile, in London, hundreds rallied outside the office of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party before marching to Parliament. The demonstrations were a response to far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories that have been linked to the recent violence.
“It’s crucial for people of color and immigrants in this country to see us, as white British people, standing up against this,” said Phoebe Sewell, 32, from London.
Jeremy Snelling, 64, also from London, expressed his disapproval of right-wing extremism and criticized Farage for contributing to a hostile environment, although he did not hold Farage personally responsible for the violence.
