UK Riot Arrests Pass 1,000 as Anti-Immigrant Disorder Subsides
- Some 575 charges issued in relation to rioting in July, August
- Starmer’s focus is on delivering swift justice to perpetrators
Riot police face protesters during a demonstration in Southport, UK, on July 30.
Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of people arrested in relation to riots that swept the UK at the end of July and earlier this month passed 1,000 people after Prime Minister Keir Starmer placed an emphasis on punishment in a bid to restore calm.
The disorder was sparked by the fatal stabbings of three young girls attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29. Fueled by far right activists, misinformation that the attacker was a Muslim asylum-seeker spread on internet forums, leading to days of anti-immigration rioting around the country, with targets including mosques, immigration facilities and the police.