UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday warned far-right protesters that they would “regret” participating in England’s worst rioting in 13 years, as disturbances linked to the murder of three children earlier this week flared across the country.
Masked anti-immigration demonstrators smashed several windows at a hotel that has been used to house asylum seekers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Unrest related to misinformation about the mass stabbing last Monday in the northwestern English seaside town of Southport has hit multiple towns and cities, with anti-immigration demonstrators clashing with police.
The violence is a major challenge for Starmer who was elected only a month ago after leading Labor to a landslide win over the Conservatives.
“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder. Whether directly or those whipping up this action online, and then running away themselves,” Starmer said in a TV address.
There was “no justification” for what he called “far-right thuggery”, he added, promising to bring the perpetrators “to justice”.
READ ALSO: Far-right protesters clash with police as UK unrest spreads
Footage aired on the BBC showed rioters forcing their way into a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham. They also pushed a burning bin into the building. It was not clear whether asylum seekers were inside.
Ten officers were injured there, but local police said none of the hotel staff of its clients had been hurt.
In the northeastern English city of Middlesbrough, hundreds of protesters squared up to riot police carrying shields. Some threw bricks, cans and pots at officers.
The fresh disturbances came after police said more than 150 people had been arrested since Saturday following skirmishes at far-right rallies in Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool and Hull, as well as Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Rioters threw bricks, bottles and flares at police — injuring several officers — looted and burnt shops, while demonstrators shouted anti-Islamic slurs as they clashed with counter-protesters.
The violence is the worst England has seen since the summer of 2011, when widespread rioting took place following the police killing of a mixed-race man in north London.
Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Liverpool issued a joint appeal for calm.
“We’re now seeing it (trouble) flooding across major cities and towns,” said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
Riots first flared in Southport on Tuesday night following Monday’s frenzied knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in the northwest coastal city, before spreading up and down England.
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