An urgent Cobra emergency response meeting has been called for today following a weekend of widespread rioting and disorder across the UK.
Scenes of chaos broke out in all corners of the country across Saturday and Sunday with police officers attacked, shops looted and mosques targeted. ‘Far-right thugs’ also tried to storm Holiday Inn hotels housing asylum seekers.
Last night (Sunday), anti-immigration rioters smashed the windows of the Holiday Inn Express before starting fires in Rotherham. At least 10 officers were injured in the violent scenes, including one who was knocked unconscious, South Yorkshire Police said.
One person was arrested, with police stating that others involved should ‘expect us to be at their doors very soon’. Masked men hurled lengths of wood, chairs and bottles, and sprayed fire extinguishers at officers outside after around 700 people gathered.
A similar incident played out at a Holiday Inn hotel in Tamworth on Sunday night, where reports suggested asylum seekers were also being housed. People threw projectiles, smashed windows, started fires and targeted officers, Staffordshire Police said.
In Middlesborough, a large crowd gathered outside a mosque. A group of rioters also smashed the windows of houses and cars and threw objects at officers, with one seen shouting a racial slur and another telling police: “It’s our f****** country.”
There were 43 arrests, and significant damage was caused to the Crown Court and the University, Cleveland Police said. In Greater Manchester over the weekend, large-scale demonstrations were held in both Manchester city centre and Bolton.
A demonstration organised under the banner of ‘Enough is Enough’ in the city centre on Saturday became violent as attendees clashed with counter protesters and police. Fights broke out, a supermarket had to be closed and public transport was brought to a standstill.
On Sunday, a protest under the same name was held in Bolton. The arrival of around 300 counter protestors sparked chanting between the groups, with missiles thrown at police and several scuffles.
Addressing the nation yesterday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed rioters would ‘regret’ engaging in ‘far-right thuggery’ and promised those involved in unrest would ‘face the full force of the law’. Sir Keir said he wanted those who ‘feel targeted because of the colour of their skin’ to know ‘this violent mob do not represent our country’.
In his message to rioters, the Prime Minister said: “I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves.”
Today’s Cobra meeting is due to involve relevant ministers and police representatives who will discuss the response in the coming days to ensure there is no repeat of the violent scenes. MPs, including Ian Byrne and Dame Priti Patel, have said Parliament should be recalled as it was in 2011 so the Commons can debate the riots.
The former first minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf said the army should be called in to stop ‘thugs’ causing disorder on the streets. Ministers have so far insisted police have the resources required to respond and have rejected calls to bring in the army.
The first of the major riots broke out in Southport last week following the tragic murder of three young girls at a school holiday dance event. Axel Rudakubana, 17, has been charged in connection with the attack.