British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he called “far-right thuggery” following a wave of violent racist riots across Britain. The unrest, sparked by the murder of three young girls in Southport on 29 July, has resulted in significant clashes between racist mobs and police.
The violence spread from cities such as Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester to smaller towns, including Rotherham, where protesters targeted a hotel housing asylum seekers. Witnesses reported that demonstrators threw bricks, vandalised property and set fires near the hotel. Police said ten officers were injured in Rotherham, with one officer knocked unconscious and others sustaining fractures.
Starmer stated, “I utterly condemn the far-right thuggery we’ve seen this weekend,” adding that those involved will face the full force of the law. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has announced 147 arrests since Saturday, with more expected in the coming days.
Far-right figures capitalised on the aftermath of the Southport stabbing attack which targeted children at a local dance session. Racist mobs incited widespread violence in UK cities by falsely linking the suspect in a stabbing incident to Muslim and refugee communities. The attack was used by far-right figures such as Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson to spread misinformation and stir anti-Muslim sentiment.
Despite evidence disproving these claims, with the suspect identified as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana—a 17-year-old Christian UK national—the misinformation led to violent clashes, property damage, and attacks on minority-owned businesses, including those belonging to Kurds. Police have responded by deploying nearly 4,000 additional officers, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that those involved in the violence will face serious legal consequences.
