LONDON - On Monday, August 5th, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that a "standing army" of specialized police would be set up to deal with the string of violent rioting that has taken over cities across the nation throughout the last week.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Starmer convened an urgent meeting after lawlessness that he reportedly blamed on "far-right thuggery," driven in part by "misinformation on social media" that caused anger over a stabbing rampage in which a 17-year-old killed three little girls and injured several others. The Merseyside Police said that the teenager faces three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder over people injured in the attack during a Taylor-Swift-themed summer holiday dance and yoga class.
False rumors spread on social media stating that the suspect was a Muslim asylum-seeker, which led to increased attacks on immigrants and mosques. Starmer said in a statement, "Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest. It is pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities. The full force of the law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part in these activities."
On Sunday, August 4th, angry mobs attacked two hotels used to house asylum-seekers, breaking windows and lighting fires. Police were able to disperse the crowd and get the residents evacuated from the area. Dozens of police officers have also been hospitalized for injuries sustained over the last week after being struck with bricks, bottles, and wooden posts.
According to the National Police Chiefs' Council, more than 375 people have been arrested so far and many more are expected. Several made court appearances on Monday, August 5th, and found themselves facing at least a handful of weeks in jail awaiting their next court hearing.
Deputy District Judge Liam McStay in Belfast Magistrates' Court refused bail for two men who had participated in a march that trashed businesses and set a supermarket on fire in the capital of Northern Ireland. The judge said that he could not allow that to be repeated and "visited on other people." McStay added, "The events at the weekend were absolutely disgraceful. A concerted and deliberate attempt to undermine public order and to then domineer the community and there were racist elements to it.
The message has to be if you allow yourself to become involved in these matters for whatever reason, then you will face the consequences." Cassia Rowland, a senior researcher at the Institute for Government think tank said that Starmer's plan to "beef up" the criminal justice system and deliver quick justice faces significant challenges as courts are already backed up and the prisons are overcrowded.
She said, "That's not a problem you can fix overnight and it's going to be difficult, I think, for the system to cope with the influx of demand that we're likely to see as a result of this disorder." Starmer has dismissed calls to reconvene Parliament to deal with the crisis or to send in the army, saying that the police can handle the situation.
Oliver Coppard, the mayor of South Yorkshire said, "I'm horrified. I'm appalled by the violence that we saw yesterday. We saw a violent far-right mob come down to attack 240 of the most vulnerable people in our society and try to burn them in a hotel in which they were living. That is not OK and there is no excuse for it."
In Southport, where the rioting first broke out on July 30th, the day after the horrific stabbing, police said that only one child remained in the hospital. The seven other children and two adults who were seriously injured have been discharged.
In the meeting with ministers and top law enforcement officials, Starmer said that social media companies have not done enough to "prevent the spread of misinformation that has fueled far-right violence" and vowed that "anyone who stokes the disorder, online or on the streets, could face prison," according to a spokesperson.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Starmer convened an urgent meeting after lawlessness that he reportedly blamed on "far-right thuggery," driven in part by "misinformation on social media" that caused anger over a stabbing rampage in which a 17-year-old killed three little girls and injured several others. The Merseyside Police said that the teenager faces three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder over people injured in the attack during a Taylor-Swift-themed summer holiday dance and yoga class.
False rumors spread on social media stating that the suspect was a Muslim asylum-seeker, which led to increased attacks on immigrants and mosques. Starmer said in a statement, "Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest. It is pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities. The full force of the law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part in these activities."
On Sunday, August 4th, angry mobs attacked two hotels used to house asylum-seekers, breaking windows and lighting fires. Police were able to disperse the crowd and get the residents evacuated from the area. Dozens of police officers have also been hospitalized for injuries sustained over the last week after being struck with bricks, bottles, and wooden posts.
According to the National Police Chiefs' Council, more than 375 people have been arrested so far and many more are expected. Several made court appearances on Monday, August 5th, and found themselves facing at least a handful of weeks in jail awaiting their next court hearing.
Deputy District Judge Liam McStay in Belfast Magistrates' Court refused bail for two men who had participated in a march that trashed businesses and set a supermarket on fire in the capital of Northern Ireland. The judge said that he could not allow that to be repeated and "visited on other people." McStay added, "The events at the weekend were absolutely disgraceful. A concerted and deliberate attempt to undermine public order and to then domineer the community and there were racist elements to it.
The message has to be if you allow yourself to become involved in these matters for whatever reason, then you will face the consequences." Cassia Rowland, a senior researcher at the Institute for Government think tank said that Starmer's plan to "beef up" the criminal justice system and deliver quick justice faces significant challenges as courts are already backed up and the prisons are overcrowded.
She said, "That's not a problem you can fix overnight and it's going to be difficult, I think, for the system to cope with the influx of demand that we're likely to see as a result of this disorder." Starmer has dismissed calls to reconvene Parliament to deal with the crisis or to send in the army, saying that the police can handle the situation.
Oliver Coppard, the mayor of South Yorkshire said, "I'm horrified. I'm appalled by the violence that we saw yesterday. We saw a violent far-right mob come down to attack 240 of the most vulnerable people in our society and try to burn them in a hotel in which they were living. That is not OK and there is no excuse for it."
In Southport, where the rioting first broke out on July 30th, the day after the horrific stabbing, police said that only one child remained in the hospital. The seven other children and two adults who were seriously injured have been discharged.
In the meeting with ministers and top law enforcement officials, Starmer said that social media companies have not done enough to "prevent the spread of misinformation that has fueled far-right violence" and vowed that "anyone who stokes the disorder, online or on the streets, could face prison," according to a spokesperson.
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