Thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets in several English cities on Wednesday to oppose days of far-right violence that have had UK police on high alert.
Nightly riots — during which mosques and migrant-related facilities have been attacked — have erupted across towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland fuelled by a wave of misinformation surrounding the murder of three children on July 29.
But on Wednesday evening, it was anti-racism and anti-fascist counter-protesters who were out in greater numbers, holding rallies in cities up and down England including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
“Whose streets? Our streets!” chanted protesters at a few-thousand-strong gathering in Walthamstow, northeast London, where some held banners saying “Stop the far right”.
“I live in the borough and we don’t want these people on our streets […] they don’t represent us,” Sara Tresilian, 58, told AFP, referring to the far-right. “You have to turn out (and) give that message […] I think it’s important that you show up for your friends and neighbours.”
Andy Valentine, the Met Police’s deputy assistant commissioner, thanked “communities for coming together across the capital and for showing community spirit this evening”.
In Sheffield, activists chanted “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” as riot police looked on.
In Birmingham, hundreds of anti-racism protesters gathered outside a migrant support centre, while in Brighton, around 2,000 people took part in a peaceful demonstration, according to police.
There was some friction, however, as in the southern town of Aldershot, where the PA reported police had to intervene between anti-racism activists and a group of people shouting “Stop the boats” — a reference to migrants who reach Britain by crossing the English Channel.
The government had put 6,000 specialist police on standby to deal with the approximately 100 demonstrations by far-right activists and counter-protesters that were advertised.
In a social media post, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked “all the police officers working tonight to protect & support local communities”.
Courts have started to order jail terms for offenders tied to the unrest as authorities seek to head off new troubles.
The disorder, Britain’s worst since the 2011 London riots, has seen almost 430 people arrested and at least 120 charged and has led several countries to issue travel warnings for the UK.
The violence broke out after three girls aged nine, seven, and six were killed and five more children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northwest England.
False rumours initially spread on social media saying the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales. UK media reported that his parents are from Rwanda.
The rioting that followed has seen demonstrators throw bricks and flares at police officers, burn cars, and attack mosques and at least two hotels that have been used for asylum seekers.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned anyone involved will face “the full force of the law”, including those inciting violence online. Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, has pledged “substantive sentencing before the end of this week” for rioters, and his government has freed up an extra 500 prison places.
Scores of accused, including teenagers, have already appeared before judges. On Wednesday, a man was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assaulting a police officer in Southport.
Two other men received sentences of 20 months and 30 months for participating in violence in Liverpool on Saturday.
“The three men sentenced today are the tip of the iceberg, and just the start of what will be a very painful process for many who foolishly chose to involve themselves in violent unrest,” said prosecutor Jonathan Egan.
Police have blamed the disorder on figures associated with the now-defunct English Defence League (EDL), a far-right Islamophobic organisation founded 15 years ago whose supporters have been linked to football hooliganism.
EDL founder Tommy Robinson has been accused by authorities of stoking tensions and police in Cyprus, where he was reported to be on holiday, said on Wednesday they were ready to assist UK police if needed.
However, Robinson later wrote on the X social media platform: “Lucky I’m not in Cyprus then”.
The rallies have been advertised on far-right social media channels under the banner “Enough is enough”.
UK lawmakers have accused social media sites of fuelling the violence. Tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, in particular, has angered the government with a series of provocative tweets, including that a British “civil war is inevitable”.
