UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
What happened
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday condemned a spate of "far-right thuggery" that broke out across the U.K. over the past week, including a mob attack on a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham where asylum seekers were being housed. The anti-immigrant violence, much of it targeting Muslims, started after false rumors spread on social media that the suspect in a fatal knife attack at a children's dance class in Southport last Monday was an immigrant.
Who said what
People who "participated in this violence will face the full force of the law," and authorities will "do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice," Starmer said. "This is not protest. It is organized, violent thuggery." Conservative opposition leader Rishi Sunak agreed that the perpetrators of the "shocking scenes" across Britain "must face the full weight of the law."
What next?
Hundreds of people have been arrested and many more arrests were "likely as police scour CCTV, social media and body-worn camera footage," The Associated Press said. But "the courts will face a challenge in processing all the charges at a time when the criminal justice system is overstretched."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How corrupt is the UK?The Explainer Decline in standards ‘risks becoming a defining feature of our political culture’ as Britain falls to lowest ever score on global index
-
Trump links funding to name on Penn StationSpeed Read Trump “can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers,” a Schumer insider said
-
Trump reclassifies 50,000 federal jobs to ease firingsSpeed Read The rule strips longstanding job protections from federal workers
-
Supreme Court upholds California gerrymanderSpeed Read The emergency docket order had no dissents from the court
-
700 ICE agents exit Twin Cities amid legal chaosSpeed Read More than 2,000 agents remain in the region
-
Trump demands $1B from Harvard, deepening feudSpeed Read Trump has continually gone after the university during his second term
-
House ends brief shutdown, tees up ICE showdownSpeed Read Numerous Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes
-
Trump’s Kennedy Center closure plan draws ireSpeed Read Trump said he will close the center for two years for ‘renovations’
