UK sees most severe wave of riots in 13 years

(MENAFN) The UK is experiencing its most severe wave of riots in 13 years, with far-right demonstrators targeting asylum seekers and ethnic minority communities across the country. This unrest was sparked by a fatal stabbing in Southport, a northern seaside town, on July 29. Misinformation spread through extremist far-right social media accounts claimed that the suspect was a Muslim and a migrant, fueling Islamophobic violence and vitriol. However, police have identified the suspect as a 17-year-old man from Cardiff, Wales, who lived in a nearby village.

The violence began on July 29, when three young girls aged six, seven, and nine were fatally stabbed in Southport. The following night, riots erupted in the town, with a mob of up to 300 people, including members of the English Defense League, targeting a local mosque, attacking police, setting cars on fire, and vandalizing properties. The chaos left at least 50 officers injured, and Merseyside Police made four arrests.

By July 31, the unrest had spread to Newton Heath in north Manchester, where rioters targeted a Holiday Inn hotel believed to house asylum seekers. They threw missiles at police and attacked a bus driver. In Hartlepool, clashes between over 100 rioters and police included anti-Islamic slurs. Violent scenes were also reported outside Downing Street in London, where rioters attacked police and threw flares, resulting in over 100 arrests. A similar scene unfolded outside a hotel in Aldershot housing asylum seekers, with a crowd of about 200 people gathered.

The disturbances continued into August, with Sunderland experiencing a prolonged riot in its city center on August 2. Rioters set a car and a Citizens Advice Bureau ablaze, injuring several police officers and further escalating the situation.

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