Right-wing riots after bloody attack New wave of violence in several British cities

Great Britain is not coming to rest. There are new violent riots and clashes between right-wing extremists and the police. The latter warns of consequences for their investigative work.

Following new violent protests by right-wing extremists in the UK, a leading police association has warned of possible consequences for the prosecution of other crimes. Officers were being diverted from their routine work to tackle the riots, the vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Tiffany Lynch, told the BBC on Sunday. But while this was happening, victims of crime were unfortunately having to accept that crimes committed against them could not be investigated.

Violent riots broke out in numerous locations across the UK on Saturday, apparently sparked by a fatal knife attack on children attending a dance class advertised as a Taylor Swift themed event in the seaside town of Southport. Three girls aged six, seven and eight were killed and eight children and two adults were injured in Monday's attack. A 17-year-old was arrested as a suspect and charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder.

Rioters attack rescue workers

False reports on the internet about the identity of the young man are apparently fanning the flames of anger among supporters of ultra-right ideologies. For example, rumors are circulating that the alleged perpetrator is a Muslim and an asylum seeker. According to the police, he was born in Wales and his parents are from Rwanda. Information about his religious affiliation was not available. Suspects under the age of 18 are not normally identified in the Kingdom, but the judge responsible surprisingly ordered his name to be given in order to counteract the spread of false information, among other things.

However, the riots did not subside. There were scenes of violence in numerous places on Saturday - from the Northern Irish capital Belfast to Liverpool in north-west England and Bristol in the south-west. Merseyside Police reported that around 300 people took part in riots in Liverpool. The first floor of the Spellow Lane Library Hub - a library and community center built primarily for the needy - was vandalized and set on fire. Rioters then tried to prevent firefighters from putting out the fire. A projectile was thrown at the firefighters' car, shattering a rear window.

Dozens of arrests

The Mayor of Greater Liverpool, Steve Rotheramn, later spoke of an attack that was not only aimed at the building, but at "our community as a whole". It was "an insult to those families still grieving and the survivors still struggling to come to terms with Monday's attack".

There were dozens of arrests and police officers were injured. There were also clashes between ultra-nationalists and counter-demonstrators protesting against racism. Further arrests are likely to be made, especially as the authorities were still examining footage from surveillance cameras, footage from officers' body cameras and content on social media. Further protests were expected this Sunday.

dpa