British police braced for further anti-Muslim and anti-migrant riots on Wednesday as far-right groups planned to target asylum centres and immigration law firms across the country, prompting anti-fascist protesters to organise counter demonstrations.
Britain has been gripped by an escalating wave of violence that erupted early last week when three young girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, triggering a wave of false messaging online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.
Specialist immigration law firms and migrant support centres shut for the day and some family doctors services in areas affected by the protests said they would close early to protect their staff.
Messages also swirled on social media, with people with large online followings relaying police guidance and neighbourhood WhatsApp groups detailing areas to avoid.
Asylum Link Merseyside, which supports asylum seekers and refugees in Liverpool, said its building was shut and would not accept any arrivals. “Our staff are currently working on securing the building,” it said.
The government and police condemned the threats.
“Inciting mobs to attack (lawyers’) offices, or threatening them in any way, is unacceptable,” said Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood. “Those found doing so will face the full force of the law.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor who is facing his first crisis since winning a July 4 election, has warned rioters they will face lengthy jail terms as he sought to stamp out the worst outbreak of violence in Britain in 13 years.
A British man was jailed on Wednesday for three years for violent disorder in one of the first sentences arising from last week’s riots. Two others were sentenced to 20 and 30 months respectively.
In towns and cities, groups of a few hundred rioters have clashed with police and smashed windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers from Africa and the Middle East, chanting “get them out” and “stop the boats” – a reference to those arriving in Britain in small dinghies without permission.
They have also pelted mosques with rocks. Muslim organisations said it was a worrying time for their community and have issued safety advice to mosques and other Islamic institutions.
“The shocking scenes have left many Muslims and minority ethnic communities scared and fearful,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.
COUNTER DEMONSTRATIONS
Posts online said immigration centres and law firms aiding migrants would be targeted on Wednesday. In response, anti-racism and anti-fascist groups have organised counter demonstrations in towns and cities across the country.
One immigration centre listed as a target for Wednesday evening was in Walthamstow, in northeast London, with a counter protest scheduled to take place at the same time.
The Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau’s shop front was boarded up ahead of the protests, but a Middle Eastern restaurant across the street had not followed suit.
“If something happens, we will be all together,” said Kurdish-German Diyar Seftali, who has been in London since 2014 and works at the restaurant. “I don’t care about the fight … just don’t touch my shop.”
The government has put together a so-called “standing army” of 6,000 specialist police officers to respond to any outbreaks of violence, and say they will have a big enough presence to deal with any unrest.
London police chief Mark Rowley said that officers in key strategic locations would be agile, adding that police plans had been based on the list of possible targets but they were ready for other eventualities too.
“That’s why we have thousands of officers on tonight. We will protect those people,” he told reporters.
“It is completely unacceptable, regardless of your political views, to intimidate any sector of lawful activity and we will not let the immigration asylum system be intimidated.”
Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions said children as young as 11 have been involved in the violent disorder and “may face lifelong consequences for their actions.”
Starmer said more than 400 people had been arrested, while the Crown Prosecution Service said more than 120 people had been charged on Tuesday with a further 20 charged on Wednesday.
Britain’s prisons have already been facing an overcrowding crisis, with Starmer’s new government announcing last month plans to release more prisoners early to ease the pressures on the system.
(Reuters)
