Hartlepool: Car set alight as riot police respond to disorder
A Home Office minister has warned protesters “we are watching you” amid reports of dozens of protests across swathes of Britain in coming days.
Far-right activists are planning to hold weekend rallies in at least eight towns and cities across the UK.
Lord Hanson admitted there is potential for more violence in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
Asked how concerned the Government is about the prospect of further disorder on the streets this weekend, he said: “There is that potential.
“But I always say to anybody who’s organising this, we will be watching you. If you are organising this now, we will be watching you.
“We have powers under existing legislation to stop you organising this now and to take action accordingly, and if you do take action and are not part of any organised group, be prepared to face the full force of the law on this criminal activity.”
Asked whether those involved are from the far right, he said: “Some individuals will have far-right opinions, in my view, some might be caught up in the summer madness. Some might be people who’ve got genuine concerns.
“Whatever those concerns are, there are mechanisms where they can raise them with their Member of Parliament, they can peacefully protest and they can take those issues forward.”
Riots have broken out in swathes of the UK this week - with more expected (Image: Getty)
Which UK cities are people being warned about?
Riots UK (Image: PA)
Flyers are being circulated online for rallies in:
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Nottingham
- Leeds
- Newcastle
- Middlesbrough
- Belfast
- Bristol
- Hull
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Posters shared on Telegram, the encrypted messaging app, and other social media channels have called for “patriots” to take action, saying “enough is enough”.
The violence this week comes after a 17-year-old boy was charged with murder and attempted murder after a mass stabbing in Southport.
Three children, six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar, died as a result of the attack at The Hart Space community centre.
A "Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop" aimed at children aged between primary school years two and six was taking place at the time of the attack in the seaside town, which is north of Liverpool.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said he was “concerned” that there could be a repeat of the violence that followed the Southport stabbings.
Mr Rotheram told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “We’re always concerned, aren’t we, that there could be a repeat of violence somewhere in the Liverpool City Region.”
He added: “I hope that there aren’t further incidents – we’re very much aware of them.
“I’m speaking to Serena Kennedy, who is the chief police officer in the Liverpool City Region, in Merseyside, on a regular basis.
“We’ve got the contingencies – we know exactly what we’d need to do to ensure that these things are nipped in the bud.”
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Mr Rotheram added it was important “that we do something about social media” because it had “whipped up the lies” about the alleged perpetrator of the stabbings that “fuelled some of the disorder that we saw on the streets”.
Meanwhile Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said Nigel Farage was giving “legitimacy” to violent protesters and “excusing them” in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
Mr Rotheram told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Whilst senior politicians like Farage should be condemning these people – he’s not, he’s excusing them.
“He’s giving them some legitimacy to go out and perpetrate some of these acts.”
Former head of counter-terrorism policing Neil Basu said Mr Farage “should think very carefully” about “the power of his words”.
Asked about comments made by the Reform UK leader, Mr Basu told the programme: “That is a far-right politician once again trying to direct policing and law and order.
“He doesn’t speak for tens of millions of people, the Prime Minister does – who has to serve the whole population, not just the ones he likes.
“And this is not the first time a politician has tried to interfere with operational policing, particularly from that section of politics.”
Mr Basu warned that police forces could be facing a “long, hot summer”.
