In a press briefing on Saturday after the clear-up, Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall described the violent protests in Sunderland as “unforgivable” and that four police officers were injured, three as a direct result of the disorder. He also said a mounted rider sustained serious injuries in an accident and is receiving treatment in hospital.
“During the course of the evening, our officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence,” he said. “Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law.”
More than 20 protests are expected over the weekend, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester. Police said many are being organised online by shadowy far-right groups, who are mobilising support with phrases like “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats”. Counter-protests are also anticipated with the organisation Stand Up To Racism rallying against Islamophobia and the far-right.
Police have deployed more officers over the weekend, made more prison cells available, and will deploy surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Britain’s new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media platform X on Saturday that criminals attacking the police and stoking disorder will “pay the price” for their thuggery and that the police have the full backing of the government to “take the strongest possible action”.
Far-right demonstrators have held several violent protests since the stabbing attack, clashing with police Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport – near the scene of the horrific stabbing – and hurling beer cans, bottles, and flares near the prime minister’s office in London the next day. People in Southport are understandably angry at the organised acts of random violence that have accentuated their shock and grief.
The attack on Monday on children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, though mass stabbings are rare.
Rudakubana has been charged with murder over the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He also has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were wounded.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the mayhem. He said police across the UK would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown in law and order on our streets”.
At a news conference on Thursday, the prime minister said the street violence was “clearly driven by far-right hatred” as he announced a programme enabling police to better share intelligence across agencies and move quickly to make arrests.
“This is coordinated; this is deliberate,” Starmer said. “This is not a protest that has got out of hand. It is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”