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British police said on Friday that Sunderland city centre was the scene of “clashes” and new protests were expected this weekend after the deaths of three girls in a knife attack sparked violent rallies.
A 17-year-old boy, Axel Rudakubana, was charged with the murder of three minors the day before and the attempted murder of 10 others at a dance class in Southport, northern England, on Monday.
Police in Sunderland, northeast England, said on Friday that “clashes are ongoing,” sparking fears of a repeat of the violence that shocked the nation this week.
In London, the Metropolitan Police said it had “increased” its police presence to “reassure” people in the capital, where a pro-Palestinian march and anti-immigrant rally were planned.
Merseyside Police, where Southport is located, lost 50 officers in clashes on Tuesday and said they were ready for new clashes and had deployed more officers to Liverpool city centre.
According to the police, two to three hundred people – sympathizers of the far-right and anti-Islam English Defence League (EDL) – took part in Tuesday’s clashes, which took place against the backdrop of rumors and speculation spread on the Internet about religion, the identity or the origin of the attackers.
Police forces are planning demonstrations in the coming days in cities including Nottingham (central England), Rotherham (northern England), Cardiff (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland).
A mosque in Southport has been targeted, leading to heads of Muslim places of worship stepping up security.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his unwavering support for police on Thursday following a growing number of violent rallies “clearly” driven by “extreme right-wing hatred”.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper assured that those responsible for the riots “will pay the price for their violence and vandalism” and the government asked the police to take the “strongest action” to control them.
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