UK police investigating riots led by the far right said they have made more than 700 arrests for alleged offences, and promised “hundreds” more to come.
Of the 741 arrests, 32 relate to online offences such as incitement, and the scale of the operation is shown by the fact the arrest took place in 36 of the 43 force areas across England and Wales.
Arrests include allegations of violent disorder, theft and antisocial behaviour, and police say the investigations across the country would probably last for months to come.
Photo: AFP
The figures come as communities and forces brace for more potential gatherings that could tip into violence, with police continuing with their biggest mobilization to face down a public order threat since the 2011 riots across England.
The new figures were issued by the UK National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). The figures include Northern Ireland, where police have arrested 26 people and charged 21 in relation to rioting.
Detectives are using a variety of sources to identify suspects, including drone and body-worn video footage. BJ Harrington, a chief constable who is the national lead for public order, said that facial recognition, which is being used retrospectively, can identify people even if they are wearing masks.
Police chiefs are convinced their constant public messages about swift and robust justice would continue to act as a deterrent to some who might be tempted to join in the violent disorder seen in England and Northern Ireland since Tuesday last week.
The latest police statement is part of that campaign.
The violence broke out after false information about the suspect of the stabbings in Southport that left three young girls dead was widely shared online.
The violence has in part been stoked by the extremist far right, and has involved a strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment. Some people arrested joined in spontaneously, police said.
The past two nights have been quieter, but police said 6,000 riot officers would be deployed over the weekend as officers wait to see if the worst of the violence has passed.
NPCC chairman Gavin Stephens said: “While the previous two nights have been a welcome break from the appalling scenes of the last week, and may have reached a turning point, we are by no means complacent,” he said.
“Our message to those involved in violence is that we continue to comb through thousands of images, live streams and videos as well as body-worn footage to find you,” he added.
“We are grateful to those who are calling us to identify those in the images circulated by forces. We are also grateful for the many messages of support to the officers, staff and volunteers that have faced hatred, racial abuse and violence whilst doing their job,” he said.
Police declined to say how many potential gatherings they expect this weekend. Police said they expected 160 far right-led gatherings on Wednesday, but only 30 took place with little or no incident, and with anti-racists taking to the streets to defend those under attack.
Stephens said: “The strong message that communities sent on Wednesday evening that they don’t tolerate hate and racism and violence, also, as potentially the start of a turning point in this whole thing.”
“I think the mood is different as a consequence of all that,” he added.
Harrington said: “I would not say we are not worried. But what we are is prepared … policing’s got a grip of this.”
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including