Riots have erupted across numerous cities and towns in the UK over the past week – but who is behind them and why are they happening? The riots, predominantly led by the far-right, began in Southport last Tuesday following the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the town.

The riots were fuelled in part by false claims the suspect was Muslim and a refugee – despite the alleged suspect having no known links to Islam. Since then, riots have spread with thugs attacking hotels sheltering asylum seekers, mosques, causing widespread destruction, and clashing with police officers.

Over 400 people have been arrested since far-right disturbances broke out in what has been labelled the ‘the worst outbreak of civil disorder in Britain for more than a decade.’ But why have riots spread so quickly, and what are they really about? Here’s what you need to know.

What sparked the riots?

The trigger for these riots was the tragic stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop at a community centre in Southport. Five other children were left in a critical condition.

Misinformation quickly spread on social media that the suspect was a Muslim immigrant who had arrived to the UK by boat, sparking far-right protests in the area. The rumours were fuelled by several far-right figures, including Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tate, who posted about them on social media.

Despite the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect, Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff reportedly to Christian Rwandan parents, riots quickly spread across the country – including disorder here in the West Midlands where a hotel housing asylum seekers was attacked in Tamworth.

Police officers across the country – including here in the West Midlands – have suffered injuries following clashes with rioters.

What are the long term causes of the riots?

The riots come amid a sharp rise in Islamophobia in recent years. According to U.K. government data from 2023, no religious group has faced more hate crimes linked to faith than Britain’s Muslims – with 4 in 10 of all recorded religious hate crimes last year targeted against Muslims.

Dr Tim Squirrell, an expert in the far right and disinformation, told Sky News: “Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment has been simmering under the surface and occasionally boiling over for a very long time. The far right is extremely adept at cynically exploiting tragedy as a mechanism to mobilise on the streets and try to affect political change.

“So if you already believe something about Muslims or any other vulnerable group – and you believe it strongly enough to turn out in the street – it doesn’t necessarily matter whether the latest incident is relevant or not.”

What has the government response been?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned ‘far-right thuggery’ across the nation after rioting in many towns and cities across the UK and has chaired several Cobra meetings to coordinate a response to the disorder. The PM said ‘anybody involving themselves in this disorder is going to feel the full force of the law’ and assured the public that the government was ‘doing everything’ it could to keep concerned communities safe.

More than 420 people have been arrested over the past week in relation to the unrest. A standing army of 6,000 police officers has been mobilised for a new wave of violence planned around the UK today, August 7.

Are more riots planned in the UK?

Extra police units have been mobilised to deal with a new wave of violence planned at 39 locations around the UK this evening (August 7). A list of immigrations offices, asylum support charities and immigration services is believed to have been widely circulated on social media over recent days, identifying them as targets for far-right demonstrations.

Whether protests will materialise in these locations remains to be seen but Joe Mulhall, Director of Research at the anti-fascist group HOPE not hate, said: ‘This is a ‘hit list’ of aspirational targets that calls for action.’

Communities minister Jim McMahon today told the BBC that the government is ‘concerned’ about the list of 39 premises shared on Telegram, but said the government was ‘absolutely prepared in terms of our policing response, our prosecutor response and also our court response.’