Far-right, anti-immigration riots persist across the U.K. after stabbing spree : NPR

Riot police clashed with anti-immigration protesters outside of a Holiday Inn Express, which is used to house asylum seekers, in Rotherham, United Kingdom, on Sunday.

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Over the past few days, the U.K. has been battered by widespread riots led by hundreds of far-right protesters.

The violent rallies began on Tuesday night following a deadly stabbing spree that killed three young girls and wounded several others at a children’s dance and yoga class in northwest England.

The attack has triggered Islamophobic and anti-immigration sentiments in the U.K., leading to hundreds of arrests, dozens of officers injured, and multiple buildings damaged — including a mosque and a hotel known to have housed asylum seekers.

The riots entered its sixth day on Sunday and showed no signs of waning. Here’s what to know:

What triggered the riots

The riots come after a stabbing rampage on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in Southport, England.

Three girls — Bebe King, 6; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 — were killed and 10 more were injured, including eight children and two adults. Police arrested a 17-year-old male at the scene but initially withheld his name because the suspect was under 18.

That’s when false rumors began to spread online, claiming that an asylum-seeker was behind the attack. (The suspect, publicly named by police Thursday as Axel Rudakubana, was born in Wales.)

On Tuesday night, rioters stormed the streets in Southport, targeting a local mosque. In a statement, Southport Mosque said members of its congregation locked themselves inside while individuals hurled petrol bombs and bricks at the building. According to Merseyside Police, 53 officers sustained injuries in clashes with protesters.

Which towns and cities have been affected

Beyond Southport, demonstrations flared up across England, including Manchester, Hartlepool, Liverpool, Bristol and London, as well as Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, over the following days.

On Sunday, some 700 rioters surrounded a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham — which is known to house asylum seekers. Windows were broken and a flaming trash bin was thrown at the building, according to South Yorkshire Police.

Rioters threw bricks, glass bottles and wooden planks at police officers as well as sprayed them with fire extinguishers during the riot in Rotherham, according to local police.

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In Belfast, a cafe, supermarket and several cars were inflamed following protests on Saturday night, The Irish Times reported.

“People attacked this place, racism against Islam and Muslims, especially the Muslim community,” the supermarket manager told the newspaper.

In Whitehall, near the gates of Downing Street, 111 people were arrested on Wednesday night. Five officers were injured by bottles and other objects that were thrown at them, while some were physically attacked, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.

Protestors held a banner reading “Enough is Enough – Stops The Boats” during a demonstration near the entrance to 10 Downing Street in Whitehall on July 31.

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How the U.K. is responding to the protests

On Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the riots “far-right thuggery,” adding that the riots will not be tolerated.

“This is not protest,” Starmer said on X. “It is organized, violent, thuggery and it has no place on our streets or online.”

Britain’s home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said on X that police forces have her full support in handing down “the strongest possible penalties” on rioters, including prison time and travel bans.

Amid the turmoil, there have also been examples of solidarity and generosity across the U.K.

In Southport, where the riots began, Merseyside Police said residents helped clean up the streets and handed out free food a day after the protest.

Food and snacks are offered to police officers by local residents as they stand on a police line while far-right activists hold a demonstration in Middlesbrough, England on Sunday.

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And over the past week, several landmarks in England — including Downing Street — lit up in a pink hue to show their ongoing support for the families and Southport community after the stabbing attack.