Sir Keir Starmer has said he expects the sentencing of many far-right protesters convicted following widespread unrest in recent days to take place by the end of the week – as police prepare for a further 30 gatherings taking place on Wednesday night.
Although officers in Liverpool and Durham issued dispersal orders to avoid potential riots, Tuesday night was free of the violent scenes that had occurred across the UK since the initial riots in Southport a week earlier.
But agents are monitoring threats of further riots against immigration law experts, some of whom have closed or accepted offers of additional police protection.
A list of law firms and counseling agencies was shared in chat groups as possible meeting targets, with the message inviting people to “mask up” if they attended.
The Law Society of England and Wales described such meetings as a “direct attack on our legal profession”, while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said threats against lawyers were “unacceptable” and that those who made them “would would join the hundreds of others who have already been arrested by the police in the last week”.
Around 6,000 specialist officers will be ready by the end of the week for the so-called “standing army” of police announced by Sir Keir on Monday. These officers were removed from their regular duties to deal with the ongoing disorder.
Dozens appear in court
As well as more riot police being put on standby, forces are also stepping up policing patrols in neighbourhoods, detective teams are using CCTV, body camera footage and using retrospective facial recognition to identify perpetrators. violence, and intelligence teams are monitoring known influencers and activity organizers.
More than 400 people have already was arrested in connection with the riots, and charges continued to be filed Tuesday night, with defendants expected in court Wednesday.
See more information:
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The violence was sparked by false claims about the identity of the teenager suspected of killing three girls and injuring several others in a knife attack in Southport on July 29, and saw shops looted and hotels housing asylum seekers attacked.
Speaking to reporters after chairing his second COBRA meeting in two days, the Prime Minister said: “This should send a very powerful message to anyone involved, whether directly or online, that it will likely be dealt with within a week.
How a week of unrest unfolded
“No one, but no one, should be involved in this disorder.”
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But the prime minister faced the accusation of “two-tier policing” – the belief that the far right is being treated more harshly than other groups.
Elon Muskthe billionaire owner of social media platform X, has been one of Sir Keir’s most vocal critics, and the South African tech mogul has used his website to publish incendiary posts.
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