By Catarina Demony
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain has readied a huge police response in case of further racist rioting this weekend and the government said it is considering tougher regulations for social media companies following unrest driven by online misinformation.
After days of rioting that targeted Muslims and hotels housing migrants, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday extra police numbers and swift justice had deterred people he referred to as “far-right thugs”. The violence has died down since Wednesday.
But the authorities would stay on high alert for further trouble and those involved in riots could expect to be brought before the courts, Starmer said, noting that what he called “significant sentences” had already been handed out.
“That is a very important part of the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further disorder,” he told reporters during a visit to a police command centre in London.
About 600 arrests have been made since riots broke out across the country after online posts falsely identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack on July 29 in Southport, northwest England, as an Islamist migrant.
Protesters have clashed with police, attacked mosques and smashed the windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said more 6,000 public order-trained officers would be on duty over the weekend.
“It’s probably one of the strongest national policing responses that we’ve ever done, certainly in my career history,” Gavin Stephens, the NPCC’s chairman.
While police said it was not clear how many, if any, anti-migrant demonstrations might be held, about 40 counterprotests were due to take place on Saturday, according to a group called Stand Up to Racism.
Some 160 protest events by both sides were publicised on Wednesday, but in the end only just over 30 took place, and nearly all were peaceful as thousands of counterprotesters including local residents, Muslims, and anti-racism and anti-fascist groups, took to the streets to confront any potential troublemakers.
More than 150 people have been charged during the unrest and dozens have been given long jail sentences with cases fast-tracked through the justice system. Two of those given prison sentences were jailed for stirring up racial hatred in messages on X and Facebook. Police said arrests would continue for months.
TURNING POINT?
Stephens said tough action and the strong message by communities against the riots represented “potentially the start of a turning point”.
However, the first soccer matches of the season starting on Saturday could potentially pose problems, although there was no specific intelligence.
Those “intent on violence and destruction have not necessarily gone away”, Stephens said.
“Whether they choose to corral and organise this weekend to attack communities again, is less clear. But we’re prepared and ready to deal with it, if it does show its face.”
Charges have also been brought against some people involved in counterprotests.
A local councillor who was suspended by Starmer’s Labour Party on Thursday after footage emerged of him calling for people to cut the throats of “disgusting Nazi fascists”, has been charged with encouraging violent disorder, prosecutors said.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas–Symonds told Sky News the government would revisit the framework of legislation that regulates the responsibilities of social media companies regarding content inciting violence or hate.
“We stand ready to make changes if necessary,” he said of the Online Safety Act, passed in October but not due to come into effect until next year due to a consultation process.
(Reporting by Catarina DemonyAdditional reporting by Michael HoldenEditing by Kylie MacLellan, Philippa Fletcher and Frances Kerry)
