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Britain is bracing for a massive police deployment to deal with further racist unrest this weekend, and the government said it was considering tougher regulation of social media companies in response to unrest sparked by online false information.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that extra police and swift justice had deterred what he called “far-right thugs” after days of violent hotel riots targeting Muslims and immigrants. The violence has subsided since Wednesday.
But Starmer said authorities would remain on high alert for further disorder and those involved could be brought to court, noting what he called “significant sentences” had already been handed down.
“This is a very important message to those who are thinking of taking part in the riots further,” he told reporters during a visit to London’s police command centre.
On July 29, a knife attack on three girls occurred in Southport, northwest England. The suspect was wrongly identified as an Islamic immigrant in an online post, which sparked nationwide riots and about 600 people have been arrested so far.
Protesters clashed with police, attacked mosques and smashed windows of hotels housing asylum seekers.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said more than 6,000 officers with public order training would be on duty at the weekend.
Gavin Stephens, chairman of the NPCC, said: “This is probably one of the strongest national policing responses we have ever had, at least in my career.”
Police said it was unclear how many anti-immigrant demonstrations might take place, but a group called “Stop Racism” said about 40 counter-protests were planned for Saturday.
On Wednesday, about 160 protests were announced by both sides, but only about 30 took place, almost all of which were peaceful, with thousands of counter-protesters (including local residents, Muslims, and anti-racism and anti-fascist groups) taking to the streets to confront potential troublemakers.
More than 150 people have been charged during the unrest and dozens have been sentenced to long prison terms, with cases fast-tracked through the justice system. The two sentenced were jailed for posting messages on Twitter and Facebook that incited racial hatred. Police said the arrests would continue for months.
Turning point?
Stephens said the strong action and strong message sent by the community in response to the unrest “could be the beginning of a turning point.”
However, while there is no concrete intelligence yet, the first football game of the season, which begins on Saturday, could pose a problem.
Stephens said those “intent on committing violence and destruction are not necessarily going to go away.”
“Whether they will choose to gather and organize to attack the community again this weekend is unclear. But if they do show up, we are prepared and ready to respond.”
Some people who took part in the counter-protests were also charged.
The MP was suspended from his post on Thursday after his Labour Party released a video in which he called on people to slit the throats of “disgusting Nazi fascists”, prosecutors said.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News the government would review the legislative framework governing the liability of social media companies for content that incites violence or hatred.
“We stand ready to make amendments if necessary,” he said of the Cybersecurity Act, which was passed in October but is not expected to come into force until next year because of the consultation process.
Read more by Euractiv
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