LONDON:
Far-right rioters in the western English port city of Sunderland clashed with police and set a police station on fire late Friday in the wake of a deadly fatal knife attack in Southport earlier this week, according to media reports.
Tension erupted as stones and beer cans were thrown at police in riot gear outside a mosque on St. Mark’s Road.
The violence escalated as mounted officers attempted to push back demonstrators, some of them wearing masks.
In a statement, Northumbria Police called the scenes in Sunderland “completely unacceptable.”
It confirmed that three officers were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries, with one later discharged while the other two remaining in hospital for further treatment.
“Eight people have so far been arrested for a range of offenses, including violent disorder and burglary,” added the police, saying that an investigation is underway to identify anyone else responsible.
Demonstrators chanted “Whose streets, our streets” as unrest spread throughout the city.
Cars in Sunderland’s city center were targeted, with one vehicle overturned and set on fire.
The unrest follows riots in Hartlepool which police linked to protests surrounding Monday’s attack in Southport which took the lives of three children.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the rioters “do not represent Britain” and will pay the price for their violence and thuggery.
“The police have the full backing of Government to take the strongest possible action & ensure they face the full force of the law,” she wrote on X.
Bridget Phillipson, Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, said that they have seen “unforgivable violence and tragedy,” stressing that the criminals involved in “this appalling disorder must be identified, prosecuted, and punished with the full force of law.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness expressed dismay at the violence.
“Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police, and damage property, you stand for nothing except thuggery,” she said. “You don’t speak for Sunderland. You don’t speak for this region.”
Simultaneously, a crowd of 200 anti-racism protesters gathered outside the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool following rumors of a far-right protest.
Police urged to protect mosques, asylum seekers’ residences
The group chanted: “Say it loud, say it clear: Refugees are welcome here.”
Police across the country have been urged to protect mosques and accommodations for asylum seekers as the nation braces for at least 19 far-right rallies in the coming days.
The call for increased security from community leaders follows violent demonstrations that have spread since the fatal stabbing to cities including London, Hartlepool, Manchester, and Aldershot.
The unrest intensified as unfounded online rumors falsely claimed the suspect in the murders was Muslim, leading to attacks on mosques in Southport and Hartlepool on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The suspect was identified on Thursday as Axel Rudakubana, 17.
The demonstrations also saw accommodations for asylum seekers in Manchester and Aldershot targeted by protesters brandishing signs with messages that read: “Deport them, don’t support them” and “No apartments for illegals.”1
Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting Thursday with police leaders and announced the formation of a new national violent disorder unit.
