Thousands take to the streets in Britain to protest against right-wing violence

There have been repeated right-wing extremist riots in Great Britain in recent weeks. But now thousands of people are taking to the streets to protest against right-wing violence – most of them in Belfast on Saturday.

Following the serious riots, thousands of people in England and Northern Ireland once again demonstrated against right-wing violence. The largest demonstration took place in Belfast. According to the British news agency PA, around 15,000 people took to the streets there. The news agency AFP, however, spoke of 5,000 participants.

According to a BBC report, hundreds of anti-racism demonstrators took to the streets in the north-eastern English city of Newcastle. They were opposed by a much smaller group of right-wing demonstrators. According to reports, there were isolated arrests within this group.

In London, according to AFP, almost 1,000 people demonstrated outside the headquarters of Brexit supporter Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration party Reform UK. Some held signs reading “No to racism, no to hate.” Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Cardiff, Wales, and in the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Call for demonstrations across the country

The organization Stand Up to Racism had called for demonstrations against right-wing violence across the country. The start of the season in England this weekend with second division matches is causing tension among security authorities. There are fears that violent football fans could cause riots again.

Unrest in Northern Ireland

In England, things had remained largely calm since the middle of the week. In Northern Ireland, however, the unrest continued. On Saturday night, rioters attempted to set fire to a mosque in a small town near Belfast – but the attack failed. In addition, several cars were set on fire in Belfast. Five people were arrested.

The police in Northern Ireland believe that paramilitary forces are involved in the unrest. In the British part of the country, there are still armed splinter groups on both sides, more than 25 years after the end of the civil war between Catholics and Protestants. However, the target of the attacks are now mainly Muslim establishments and businesses.

Violence again and again

Previously, the unrest in several English cities had kept the country on edge for days. There were attacks on security forces, accommodation for asylum seekers, mosques and shops.

Almost 600 people who took part in the unrest or called for violence on the streets or online have been arrested so far. Charges have already been brought against more than 220 of them, and several have been sentenced to prison terms, some of them for several years.

The background to the outbreaks of violence is the knife attack by a 17-year-old in the coastal town of Southport near Liverpool, in which three children were killed and eight others and two adults were injured on July 29.

Speculation and false information about the background of the suspect, whose family is from Rwanda, quickly circulated on the Internet. After a tough crackdown by the authorities with over 700 arrests, 300 charges and the first prison sentences for the rioters, the situation had calmed down again in the past few days.