Mapping far-right riots in the UK | Interactive news

Protesters have attacked people, shops, cars and public spaces as far-right violence spreads across the UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced “far-right violence”.

But members of the Muslim community and activists have accused politicians, including the ruling Labor Party, of downplaying the levels of racism and Islamophobia occurring. They also say that politicians and some media are to blame for protesting against migration for years.

What started the riots?

Misinformation on social media is an immediate factor.

The murder of three girls on July 29 in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop in the northern English town of Southport shocked the United Kingdom. A 17-year-old suspect, Axel Rudakubana, has been arrested in connection with the worst violence in the UK in a decade.

But false information on social media about the suspect’s origins spread quickly, with some falsely naming him as a Muslim and a migrant. The name “Ali al-Shakati”, without an official source, was shared.

Even after the suspect was identified as Rudakubana, a British-born teenager who is neither Muslim nor a migrant, agitators continued to condemn immigration and Muslims.

In the days following the attack in Southport, protests led by far-right groups turned into clashes with police in several towns, as a wave of unrest saw protesters attack mosques and businesses owned by the minority community. and hotels that housed asylum seekers.

Who is behind the riots?

Many of the protesters support the far right, police said.

Well-known far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and influencer Andrew Tate have been posting at a rapid pace, inciting hatred online.

Tate said in a video on X that an “undocumented migrant” who “arrived on a boat” attacked the girls in Southport.

Robinson told his 800,000 followers on X that there was “further evidence to suggest that Islam is a mental health issue and not a religion of peace.”

UK reformist leader Nigel Farage is said to have fueled tensions by questioning whether police were being truthful about the Southport attack not being “terrorism-related”.

Where did the riots spread in the UK?

Riots swept across most of the United Kingdom, including Wales and Northern Ireland, however, most of the disturbances occurred in English cities and towns.

Some of the locations include: Aldershot, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Hartlepool, High Wycombe, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Rotherham, Southport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Tamworth and Weymouth.

How many people were arrested?

More than 400 people have been arrested since the violence began, 100 of whom have already been charged.

According to London’s Metropolitan Police, 111 people were arrested in central London on Wednesday following a demonstration in Whitehall.

Elsewhere, such as Middlesbrough in northern England, around 43 people were arrested on Monday, Cleveland police said. At least 29 people have been arrested in Hull so far, according to Humberside Police.

Why are Muslims, immigrants and other minority groups targeted?

Muslims bore the brunt of the attacks, but black British people and immigrants were also targeted.

The feeling among many is that everyone in the country who is not white could be targeted.

In Stoke-on-Trent, a mosque was vandalized earlier in the week as part of the protest that turned violent on Saturday.

The causes of the riots are complex. There are explanations here and here. The Southport tragedy appears to have provided the far right with a “reason” for the riot, but there are longer-term factors at play, such as the anti-migrant narratives adopted by several senior politicians.

Some British media outlets ask whether far-right protesters have legitimate concerns about immigration.

A recent YouGov poll suggests that 8% of Brits sympathize with the protesters.

What is the next?

Police and authorities are telling the public that perpetrators of violence and abuse will be punished. Meanwhile, ethnic minorities and migrant communities are becoming more fearful.

At a recent press conference, Deputy Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Lindsey Butterfield, declared: “If you were there, we would find you and you would be held accountable for yesterday’s violence.”

Veteran Labor politician Diane Abbott said on X: “Anti-immigrant riots across the country on a scale never seen before. Threatening lives, property and our police force. We need to recall Parliament.”

On Wednesday, police say there could be another 100 far-right meetings. They deployed thousands of agents to prevent possible attacks on immigration lawyers and refugee centers.