- Protests mostly peaceful due to heavy police presence
- 400+ arrests since initial riot; more arrests expected
- Police, government officials remain cautious of future violence
About 100 protests were scheduled for Wednesday night, and there were fears of further violence, but a large police presence and calm counter-protests prevailed.
The government’s policing minister has warned that more protests may take place in the coming days after concerns about violence did not materialise last night.
Dame Diana Johnson stated, “I am cautious about what happened last night.
Fortunately, we didn’t see the same amount of disruption and criminality on our streets as we did in previous days, but clearly, this is just the beginning.
We now have more information about what will happen in the coming days, and we must wait and watch what happens.
She did not specify how many – or where – these activities are scheduled.
Police were aware of 100 protests planned around the UK on Wednesday night following a week of disturbances.
However, following an extensive police operation, the majority of counter-protesters marched peacefully.
Dame Diana believes the police presence, as well as the rapid arrest and prosecution of rioters, deterred far-right protesters.
More than 400 individuals have been arrested since the initial riot last Tuesday when incorrect information spread online claiming the culprit in the Southport stabbings was a Syrian asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a tiny boat the previous year.
Axel Rudakubana, 17 years old, was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents. He has been charged with murdering three little girls and attempting to murder eight additional children and two adults.
Since the riots began, over 120 people have been charged with a variety of offences, including violent disorder, racially aggravated harassment, and using threatening statements online to incite racial hatred.
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Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who was in charge of much of the police operations on Wednesday, stated that a police show of force and community togetherness prevailed.
I’m delighted with how things went, he remarked.
We deployed thousands of officers to the streets, and I believe that the police’s display of force and the community’s show of solidarity overcame the obstacles that we faced.
He said that dawn raids were conducted on Thursday morning to apprehend suspected violent criminals from the previous few days.
He showed that approximately 70% of the most aggressive offenders have a criminal background.
Police are still reviewing footage and evidence obtained from last week’s rioting and will arrest criminals within the next 24 hours, he said.
These are criminal thugs; any claim that they are patriots or have a cause to protest is ridiculous, he added.
They are criminals, and most of them will be charged with violent disorder and will serve a few years in prison.
