Riot police hold back protesters after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 A minister has warned that more riots could happen in the coming weeks after the last few days of unrest.
PM Keir Starmer is cracking down on the recent wave of violence by announcing a new national policing unit.
The government is hoping this will help address the far-right protests which have popped up across the country in the wake of the Southportknife attack on Monday.
But, asked by LBC about further unrest in the coming weeks, home office minister Lord David Hanson said: “There is that potential.
“But I always say to anybody who’s organising this, we will be watching you.
“If you are organising this now, we will be watching you.”
He noted that the government has powers under existing legislation to “stop you organising this now and to take action accordingly”.
Hanson said anyone who does act and is not part of any organised group should “be prepared to face the full force of the law on this criminal activity.”
Asked if protesters are from the far-right, he said: “Some individuals will have far-right opinions, in my view, some might be caught up in the summer madness. Some might be people who’ve got genuine concerns.
“Whatever those concerns are, there are mechanisms where they can raise them with their member of parliament, they can peacefully protest and they can take those issues forward.”
'Some will have far-right opinions...some may be caught up in the summer madness.'
— LBC (@LBC) August 2, 2024
Home Office Minister Lord Hanson tells @NickFerrariLBC his thoughts on why protesters are participating in violence after the Southport stabbing. pic.twitter.com/rIjnM2GgWj
PA news agency reported that there is evidence of at least 15 protests advertised online planned in the coming days, while Sky News says it has seen social media posts with phrases like “enough is enough” and “stop the boats”.
Violence has broken out across the country this week, much of it sparked by social media misinformation about the suspect in the Southport attack.
Now named as Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana, the 17-year-old has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Although technically a minor, he was identified by the judge to try and quell the misinformation coming from online and prevent the unrest.
The violence began in Southport on Tuesday, when a vigil for the three murdered little girls was hijacked by the far-right.
Almost 40 officers had to receive medical treatment after hundreds of people, potentially members of the English Defence League, threw bricks at police, set vehicles on fire and attack a mosque with an imam trapped inside.
The following day, more than 100 people were arrested outside Downing Street gates.
And over in Hartlepool, seven people have now been charged with violent disorder after clashes with the police on Wednesday.
An 11-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a police car was torched at the same time.
Mosques have been encouraged by the Muslim Council of Britain to strengthen their security measures ahead of Friday prayers today, too.
Starmer told the Muslim community yesterday at his press conference that he would “take every step that is necessary to keep you safe”.
