A police unit will be created to tackle violent disorder across the country following riots by far-right groups following the Southport stabbings, the Prime Minister has announced.
Sir Keir Starmer said he would not allow a “breakdown of law and order on our streets” following violent scenes in Southport, Hartlepool and London following the attack.who killed three girls who participated in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
During a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister criticized a “small, stupid minority in our society” who forced a “grieving” community to “suffer twice” when they organized a demonstration following the stabbings.
“A gang of thugs got on trains and buses and went to a community that wasn’t their own,” Sir Keir said.
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“[They] then began throwing bricks at the police. Police officers who just 24 hours earlier had to deal with an attack on children in their community. Their community.“
Announcing unity to combat riots, he said the government would establish “national capacity” across all police forces to combat “violent disorder”.
“These bandits are mobile,” he explained.
“They move from community to community. And we must have a police response that can do the same.”
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, died as a result of the attack at the Hart Space community center in Southport, near Liverpool, on Monday.
Another eight children suffered stab wounds, five are now stable after being in critical condition and two have been discharged from hospital. Two adults remain in critical condition.
The violence began on Tuesday night outside a Southport mosque, where protesters attacked police officers and set fire to a police van.
‘Hooliganism’ fueled riots
The disorder then spread to other locations across the UK, including London and Hartlepool on Wednesday night.
The Metropolitan Police said 111 people were arrested in London last night when flares were thrown at the gates of Downing Street, while some threw cans and glass bottles as riot police were deployed.
Protesters wearing British flags waved “Stop the Boats” banners after social media posts wrongly claimed the murder of the three girls was committed by a Muslim asylum seeker.
Police officers operate as people take part in a protest against illegal immigration outside Downing Street. Photo: Reuters
The Metropolitan Police said some officers suffered minor injuries and those arrested were detained for offenses including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and breaching protest conditions.
In Hartlepool, eight people were arrested for various offences, and more are expected, after protesters threw missiles, glass bottles and eggs at police.
Several police officers suffered minor injuries and a police car was set on fire.
Sir Keir addressed journalists after a meeting with police chiefs today where he said he supported giving them appropriate powers to prevent future riots.
Damage to the window of a butcher’s shop on Murray Street in Hartlepool. Photo::PA
He told journalists that this afternoon’s meeting was not to “point the finger of blame” but to “bring together our response both to the immediate challenge, which is clearly driven by the hatred of the far right, but also to all the violent disorder that comes up”.
He said the government would make greater use of shared intelligence, facial recognition technology and “preventative actions” such as criminal behavior orders that restrict people’s movements before they try to attend another demonstration.
Downing Street said local information and data will also be used, with the British Transport Police being asked to alert police forces where they see a rise in train ticket sales that may be linked to organized violent disorder.
Sky’s Tom Cheshire looks at how misinformation surrounding the identity of the Southport suspect led to violent riots in the area.
The Prime Minister also said that he made it clear that the riots that occurred in the three locations were not a “protest”.
“It’s not legitimate,” he said.
“It is a crime. Violent disorder. An attack on the rule of law and the execution of justice. And so, on behalf of the British people who expect their values and their security to be respected, we will put an end to this.”
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On Wednesday night, a 17-year-old boy was charged with the murder of the three girls in Southport and the attempted murder of 10 others, as well as possession of a knife.
After initially not being identified due to his age, this morning he was identified by a judge as Axel Rudakubana.
Rudakubana hails from the nearby village of Banks and was born in Cardiff, Wales.
Sir Keir also had harsh words for social media companies after the violent disorder that followed the stabbings was “clearly sparked online”.
“This is also a crime,” he said. “It’s happening on your premises. And the law must be respected everywhere.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
