My statement on the violent disorder following the horrific tragedy in Southport. https://t.co/TxBT79DH0b
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 1, 2024
Keir Starmer has just announced a new national violent disorder unit to address rioters after meeting with police chiefs this afternoon.
The group will look to increase intelligence gathering and sharing on potential unrest and “extremist troublemakers” from across the ideological spectrum.
The unit will be part of the national police operations centre, although the financial details of the group are yet to be firmed up.
The prime minister’s decision comes after a surprise wave of far-right protests sprung up this week in response to the Southport knife attack on Monday.
Starmer said the violent demonstrations were the “actions of a tiny mindless minority” and slammed “far-right hatred”.
“These thugs are mobile, they move from community to community, and we must have a police response that can do the same,” he said in a televised press conference.
He said the “violent disorder, clearly whipped up online” was crime, not protest.
He added that the government would take “all necessary action to keep our streets safe.”
Violent demonstrations in Southport, Hartlepool and London – just outside the gates to Downing Street – claimed to be motivated by the horrific stabbings in Merseyside earlier this week where three girls under the age of 10 died.
The 17-year-old suspect, now publicly named as Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana, has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Before his identity was confirmed, social media misinformation had galvanised far-right protesters who chanted, “stop the boats” and threw missiles at the police during the riots.
The judge took the unusual decision of naming a suspect who is under 18 in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation “in a vacuum”.
Rudakubana is also set to turn 18 on Wednesday, August 7.
Starmer said his meeting with police chiefs was held to “pull together our response, response both to the immediate challenge which is clearly driven by far-right hatred, but also all violent disorder that flares up whatever the apparent cause or motivation”.
