Riot police hold back protesters after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 A Conservative police and crime commissioner has publicly urged the government to see the violent riots as a form of political protest.
The country has been shaken up by a wave of unrest in the last week.
Riot police have clashed with demonstrators repeatedly in recent days, triggered by the death of three young girls in a Southport stabbing.
PM Keir Starmer slammed the “far-right thuggery” which has broken out across the country on Sunday – in Southport, Liverpool, Hull, Hartlepool, London, Belfast and Rotherham – saying those involved would “regret it”.
Just the day before, Donna Jones, PCC for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, acknowledged that the riots have “escalated to a worrying level” in the last week and that the behaviour of those involved is “highly distressing and absolutely criminal”.
But she claimed Starmer’s new Violent Crimes Units have led to accusations of “two-tier policing” which only “enflames” the “protesters who state they are battling to protect Britain’s sovereignty, identity and stop illegal immigration”.
Jones claimed arresting those responsible was “treating the symptoms not the cause” of Brits’ unhappiness.
She concluded: “I’ve spoken to people from both sides of the spectrum and the only way to stem disorder is to acknowledge what is causing it.”
Jones suggested the Southport attack was a “catalyst” for a feeling already felt across the country.
“What is the government’s solution to mass uncontrolled immigration?
“How are the new Labour government going to uphold and build on British values?” She said.
It’s worth noting the suspect at the centre of the Southport stabbings, a 17-year-old boy born in Cardiff called Axel Rudakubana, is British.
Social media disinformation galvanised the riots by falsely suggesting he was a migrant.
Her statement was met with widespread fury, and former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said it was “totally unacceptable” in a post on X.
Jones – who is also the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners – did seem to take her divisive statement down.
However, she put it back on the Hampshire PCC official website at 3pm on Sunday, just far-right protesters were setting fire to a Rotherham migrant hotel.
PCC @DonnaJonesPCC has released a bizarre statement saying the “only way to stem the tide of violent disorder” is for govt to see them as political protestors with a just cause
— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) August 3, 2024
“Arresting people… is treating the symptom not the cause”
She deleted the statement but it’s here pic.twitter.com/eANngURaOp
Jones also added another comment to “clarify her position” amid the backlash, making it clear she does not condone the violence.
She wrote: “I stand by my statement issued yesterday where I called for calm, and for the country to work together stop this mindless, criminal behaviour.
“I fully support the police’s response to stem the growth of these riots and those acting outside of the law should expect to feel the full force of it.
“The violence we have seen has endangered our communities and infected lawful protest on a much broader issue.
“As a country this issue is something we should seek to understand without letting it divide us.
“I am confident there will be a time and place for that discussion in due course.”
But Tommy Robinson, founder of far-right group the English Defence League, seemed to approve of her words, writing: “UK’s most senior police commissioner releases a statement following riots, to tell the government to listen to the concerns of the public.”
