- Beer barrels, stones thrown at Sunderland police
- Protest near mosque, organized by far-right extremists
- Rioters set car on fire, activated fire extinguishers
Beer barrels and stones were thrown at police in Sunderland on Friday as they attempted to control several hundred demonstrators on another night of unrest.
The demonstrators, some of whom wore balaclavas, flung the objects in a standoff outside a mosque on St Mark’s Road that officers guarded.
An overturned automobile was set on fire, and rioters activated fire extinguishers at officers. Northumbria police recommended the public avoid Sunderland’s city center due to the “ongoing disorder.”
The protest, which far-right extremists on social media organized, began near the recently renovated Keel Square. Social media images show teenage males throwing stones at police officers while yelling, “Whose streets, our streets?” and other Islamophobic cries.
The protest was one of hundreds planned around the UK this weekend in response to Monday’s knife assault in Southport, which was sparked by disinformation on social media about the 17-year-old suspect’s origin and faith.
Extra prosecutors have been brought in to work this weekend as police forces around the country prepare for further chaos.
Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, stated: “We take the recent cases of violent disturbance very seriously, and we are prepared to respond quickly if there is another outbreak.
We have dispatched dozens of extra prosecutors working around the clock this weekend to support the police and make immediate criminal judgments so that justice may be served quickly.
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North East Mayor Kim McGuinness posted on X: “I’m disturbed by the pictures from Sunderland. Make no mistake: if your response to tragedy is to use it to conduct violence, mistreat others, attack police, and damage property, you represent nothing but thuggery. It’s not a protest.
“It is a crime and disorder. You do not speak for Sunderland or this region. This will not comfort those in Southport who are grieving.
“We believe that the community in Southport, and the country as a whole, must now band together to combat intolerance based on people’s identities. In particular, we must not allow rising levels of Islamophobia to fester in our culture.”
A mob of roughly 200 anti-racist protestors gathered outside the Abdullah Quilliam mosque in Liverpool on Friday evening following reports of a far-right gathering there. Later, a minor scuffle broke out between the groups.
