Barran Press
British authorities are facing mounting pressure to quell the worst riots England has seen in 13 years, sparked by the deaths of young girls at a dance school and fueled by far-right activists.
The unrest, stemming from misinformation surrounding a mass stabbing that killed the girls last week, spread to several towns and cities on Saturday, pitting anti-immigration protesters against counter-protesters.
These riots represent the biggest challenge yet for Prime Minister Kier Starmer, just a month after he took office following Labour's landslide victory over the Conservatives, according to Agence France-Presse.
According to the international news agency, approximately 90 individuals were arrested following clashes in numerous English cities, including Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool, Hull, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
In some instances, rioters hurled stones and bottles at police, injuring several officers, looted and set fire to shops, and were heard chanting anti-Islamic slogans.
This violence is the worst in England since the summer of 2011, when widespread riots erupted following the death of a man at the hands of police in North London.
"We have seen riots and clashes like this before, but they have been confined to certain areas of the country," said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales. "Now we are seeing them spread across major cities and towns."
The government has asserted that security forces have "all the resources they need" to handle the unrest, while police have warned of further demonstrations on Sunday, raising concerns about the potential for the riots to escalate.
Police have increased their presence, while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that "the entire judicial system is ready to issue convictions as quickly as possible."
Security Minister Diana Johnson told BBC News that the riots "will not be tolerated," warning of "punishments and consequences" for the chaos.
The unrest continued for a fourth day on Saturday following Monday's knife attack in Southport near Liverpool on the northwest coast of England.
The riots were fueled by false rumors circulating on social media about the background of the British-born suspect, Axel Rodakobana, 17, who is accused of murder and attempted murder in connection with the attack on the dance school.
Rodakobana is accused of killing Poppy King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and Alice Da Silva Aguiar (9), and injuring 10 others.
Police have blamed the chaos on organizations linked to the anti-Islamic "British Defence League," which was founded 15 years ago and has since been disbanded.
Threats were received by mosques in Southport and the city of Sunderland in northeast England, leading to enhanced security at hundreds of Islamic institutions amid concerns for the safety of worshippers.
The marches were announced on far-right social media pages under the slogan "Enough is enough," according to the agency.
During the protests, demonstrators were seen waving English and British flags and chanting slogans like "Stop the boats," referring to illegal immigrants sailing to Britain from France.
The Prime Minister condemned the rioters as "thugs" who had "hijacked" the nation's grief "to spread hatred," vowing that anyone committing violence "will face the full force of the law."
He held talks with senior ministers on Saturday, emphasizing that "the government is supporting the police to take all necessary action to keep our streets safe," according to his office.
The Security Minister said the government will do "everything necessary" to ensure that the accused are brought to justice, including the possibility of courts operating throughout the night, as they did during the 2011 riots.