Far right and counter-protesters turn out at demonstrations across UK, as clashes break out with police

3 August 2024, 15:02 | Updated: 3 August 2024, 15:25

Some of the rallies taking place in the aftermath of the Southport attacks turned ugly on Saturday, with right-wing activists clashing with counter-protesters.

Many of the protests across the UK on Saturday have seen relatively little trouble, with isolated bursts of violence.

In Manchester, fighting broke out between separate groups of protesters, despite police attempts to keep them apart.

Around 500 right-wing activists stood off with about 350 counter-protesters in Manchester, and officers were given extra temporary powers to manage the protests. At least one person was arrested.

At one stage, witnesses reported punches being thrown and metal fences tossed at the demonstration in Piccadilly Gardens in central Manchester.

At least one protester was seen being tackled to the ground by police.

Read more: Police 'gearing up' for weekend of riots following Southport stabbings as protesters warned of 'robust response'

Read more: Keir Starmer announces ‘support package’ for Southport as he visits community for the second time this week

In Hull, far-right activists gathered at a migrant hotel and hurled bricks and bottles at the windows. Some people were heard to shout "get them out".

There were also pockets of violence at a protest in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and a video posted online showed a man hurling an object at police. The local MP condemned the scenes.

In Belfast, a protest outside a mosque saw objects thrown at reporters and the windows of a cafe smashed.

These demonstrations were among dozens advertised on social media for various towns and cities across the country.

Several more appeared relatively peaceful, including one in Leeds where a counter-protest in the city appeared to have attracted many more participants.

Meanwhile there was also a protest in Liverpool on Saturday, with a counter anti-fascist demonstration attended by local Labour MPs. Protesters and anti-fascist counter-protesters also turned out in Nottingham.

It comes after disorder in Sunderland on Friday night, following riots in Southport, London, Manchester and Hartlepool across three nights this week.

The disorder has been sparked by the killing of three girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport on Monday, and false information spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker. The teenager who has been charged with the murders is a 17-year-old born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents.

Police have promised a robust response to the rioting, with extra officers deployed and prosecutors made available to enact "swift justice" for wrongdoers.

Keir Starmer announced a new unit for violent disorder after a meeting with police chiefs on Thursday following two consecutive nights of rioting.

Meanwhile former Home Secretary Priti Patel called for the immediate recall of parliament, calling the government "breathtakingly complacent".

"We either believe in the rule of law, or we do not," she said.

At the protest in Sunderland on Friday night, mounted police and officers in riot gear clashed with rioters.

The protesters set fire to a premises next to a police station, believed to be a Citizens Advice bureau, and also burned cars.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the city's centre in response to Monday's Southport stabbings.

"We want our country back," could be heard as balaclava-wearing protesters walked through the city centre.

Footage showed crowds tipping a car as they chanted "get them out" and "whose streets, our streets".

Counter-protesters also came out, singing in support of refugees.

Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson said of the rioters: "Our city is not represented by a tiny minority causing trouble."

He added that officers have his "full support as they respond to criminal thuggery and work to protect all the communities of our city".

Northumbria Police confirmed eight people were arrested and three officers were taken to hospital as the violence erupted.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “I’m appalled by scenes from Sunderland.

"Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police and damage property you stand for nothing except thuggery.

"It’s not protest. It’s crime and disorder. You don’t speak for Sunderland. You don’t speak for this region. Those grieving in Southport will take no comfort from this.”

Home secretary Yvette Cooper slammed the rioters, claiming they "do not represent Britain."

Taking to X, she said: "Criminals attacking the police & stoking disorder on our streets will pay the price for their violence & thuggery.

"The police have the full backing of Government to take the strongest possible action & ensure they face the full force of the law.

"They do not represent Britain."

Northumbria Police said officers were subjected to "serious violence" as thugs caused chaos in the city.

"The scenes that we are seeing are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

"Ensuring the public’s safety is our utmost priority."

Education Secretary and Sunderland MP Bridget Phillipson described unrest in the city as "unforgiveable violence and thuggery".

She said: "The scenes in our city centre tonight are shocking. We have seen unforgiveable violence and thuggery.

"The criminals involved in this appalling disorder must be identified, prosecuted, and punished with the full force of the law.

"Sunderland is better than this and these thugs do not represent our city."

Keir Starmer said on Thursday that he was launching a special unit to tackle the violent disorder, that would share information across forces and use facial recognition software to identify criminals.

Meanwhile, Gavin Stephens, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said prosecutors would be on standby to deliver "swift justice" to rioters.

He said: "We agreed as police chiefs to step up our resourcing over the weekend so we will have surge capacity in our intelligence, in our briefing and in the resource that is out in local communities.

"It was really good that we were able to agree also yesterday with the support from our justice partners that there will be additional prosecutors available to make swift decisions, so we have swift justice."