A closer look.. Why did riots break out in Britain and who is behind them? | News

Riots erupted in anti-immigrant protests in cities and towns across Britain last week, with groups far right Attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.

The following are details of these disorders and their causes:

Why did the protests break out?

On July 29, three girls aged between 6 and 9 were killed in an attack on a children’s dance in the coastal town of Southport in northern England, and eight children and two adults were injured.

Police arrested a 17-year-old Irish boy, but false information spread on social media that the suspect was an immigrant affiliated with the Islamist movement, leading to violent anti-Muslim protests in Southport the following day and an attempted attack on the town’s mosque.

The authorities charged the perpetrator of the attack with murder and attempted murder. Police said he was born in Britain, and the attack was not considered a terrorist crime.

Where did the riots take place?

The day after the Southport riots, several thousand people gathered near the Prime Minister’s office. Keir Starmer In Downing Street (central London), the authorities arrested more than 100 people following clashes with the police.

Riots then broke out in more than 20 locations across Britain, from Sunderland in the northeast of England and Manchester in the northwest to Plymouth in the southwest andBelfast In Northern Ireland.

Most of the protests involved a few hundred people who targeted immigrants or Muslims, burned police vehicles and threw stones and bottles at mosques and police officers.

Shops, including those owned by Asians, were vandalized or looted.

In Rotherham, northern England, a hotel housing migrants was attacked, its windows smashed and a large rubbish bin set on fire in front.

Police officials said about 400 people have been arrested since the unrest began, and more than 120 have been charged with riot-related crimes.

Who is behind the riots?

Starmer blamed the far right for the violence.

Anti-immigration and anti-Muslim activists promoted the protests online, led by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as “Tommy Robinson”.

Politicians and media outlets have accused them of spreading misinformation to stoke tensions. Robinson said the media had spread false news about him.

The government has accused social media companies of not doing enough to stop the spread of misinformation, while the Institute for Strategic Dialogue said social media algorithms played a significant role in amplifying false information.

Police said those involved in the clashes were mostly far-right troublemakers operating outside their local communities, but in some cases they were joined by people with local grievances or young people seeking to join in the chaos.

There were also a large number of protesters taking part in counter-protests, as well as gatherings of anti-fascist groups and Asian men in areas where protests had taken place or were expected to take place.

Why do people protest?

Many of the participants describe themselves as nationalists who see record levels of illegal immigration as undermining British society.

Far-right activists online say immigration fuels violence and crime, including attacks on women and girls, and that politicians have housed and treated migrants well. Human rights groups say that is simply not true.

Some on the right also accuse the police of treating “patriotic” protesters more harshly than they did people who participated in, for example, recent pro-Palestine marches or the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

The government and police have rejected this characterisation of Britain’s policing approach, with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley describing it as “nonsense”.

Anti-racism groups say the looting of shops and attacks on police and mosques expose the real motivation behind the violence that has erupted at many protests, adding that slogans of patriotism are being used as a cover for extremism.

In a YouGov poll published on Tuesday, three-quarters of respondents said the rioters did not represent the views of Britain as a whole, while 7% said they supported the violence.

What measures is the British government currently taking?

Starmer said the government would use all law enforcement means to tackle the rioters and bring the chaos under control.

The government has increased prison capacity to accommodate about 600 additional inmates, with the help of officers specialised in dealing with disturbances.

Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday sentenced a 58-year-old British man to three years in prison for rioting and violence, in one of the first rulings issued in relation to the riots.

The government has vowed to crack down not only on rioters but also on those using social media to foment unrest.

A man has been charged with using threatening language or taking actions intended to incite hatred and racism in Facebook posts.

UK Science Minister Peter Kyle held a meeting with representatives from TikTok, Meta, Google and X to convey the message that they have a responsibility to help stop incitement and the spread of misinformation.