- Starmer holds emergency meeting with ministers, police chiefs.
- “Our first duty is to ensure our communities are safe,” he says.
- UK prime minister says more than 400 people had been arrested.
As the unrest in the United Kingdom escalates, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that sufficient police would be on the streets to handle the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant riots.
“They will be safe. We are doing everything we can to ensure that where a police response is needed, it is in place, where support is needed for particular places, that is in place,” Starmer told journalists.
He made these comments after an emergency meeting with ministers and police chiefs on Tuesday, saying that the police would be in place to cope with any further disorder.
Assuring the citizens that the violent protests would be controlled, the prime minister said: “Our first duty is to ensure our communities are safe.”
Riots across a number of towns and cities have erupted following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport, a seaside town in northwest England, after false messaging on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer as a Muslim.
The rioters started targeting mosques and smashing windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers from Africa and the Middle East, chanting “get them out”.
Starmer added that incidents taking place in various locations are a major hindrance in dealing the situation. However, the police have assured him that they are controlling the situation.
In this regard, the government has also increased prison capacity to admit a large number of prisoners.
Starmer also mentioned the successful arrests made by the government.
“More than 400 people had been arrested, 100 had been charged, and expecting sentencing to start soon,” he said. “Anybody involving themselves in this disorder is going to feel the full force of the law.”
Messages online said immigration centres and law firms aiding migrants would be targeted on Wednesday, prompting anti-fascist groups to say they would counter any demonstration.
The unrest has prompted India, Australia, Nigeria, and other countries to warn their citizens to stay vigilant.
