The UK government has said that 6,000 police officers have been mobilized to quell riots as religious leaders call on people to restore calm and peace in the country shaken by a stabbing rampage at a dance class recently that left three little girls dead.
The government said on Aug. 6 that a “standing army” of specialist police officers had been mobilized and will be deployed to trouble hotspots to counter what UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described as “far-right thuggery.”
Government ministers are also overseeing moves to provide an extra 500 prison places for far-right thugs.
In past days more than 370 rioters were arrested following the weekend’s violence and the number was expected to rise “as forces continue to identify those involved and continue to apprehend those responsible,” said the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the national law enforcement body.
More suspects have yet to be arrested as police have to identify them, and authorities have pledged to use facial recognition and other advancing policing technologies to track them down.
Ministers warned that those involved in the violence could face up to 10 years in jail.
New measures came into effect after the government faced “sustained violence” amid widespread disorder and clashes with police in UK cities.
Starmer, in a statement from 10 Downing Street on Aug. 4 afternoon, vowed that “we will do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice.”
“I guarantee, you will regret taking part in this disorder. Whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves,” Starmer said in a TV address.
There is “no justification” for the “far-right thuggery,” which has led to attacks on mosques and assaults on Muslims and ethnic minorities, he said, adding, “People in this country have a right to be safe and yet we have seen Muslim communities targeted and attacks on mosques.”
“To those who feel targeted because of the color of your skin or your faith, I know how frightening this must be,” he said. “I want you to know this violent mob does not represent this country and we will bring them to justice.”
Starmer has been criticized for not explicitly explaining that Muslims had nothing to do with the stabbing of the girls while condemning the Islamophobic nature of the racist supporters of the far-right thugs.
However, leading religious figures in the UK have condemned violence as a “stain on our national moral conscience.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic archbishop of Westminster, Sunni and Shiite imams, and a chief rabbi have all penned a letter to The Times decrying the “hatred, violence and vandalism” of the far-right rioters.
The religious leaders say in the letter that the violent riots launched by the far-right indicate “a small minority has brought hatred, violence and vandalism to towns and cities across the country.”
“We have seen anti-Muslim hatred and the targeting of mosques; asylum seekers and refugees attacked; violence directed towards the police and private property, all of which are a stain on our national moral conscience,” wrote key religious figures including Muslim leaders Qari Asim, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board and Sayed Razawi, director general of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society.
The letter says that “every British citizen has a right to be respected and a responsibility to respect others,” and calls for the building of a “cohesive and harmonious society for all.”
The religious leaders in the Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities have separately issued statements condemning the violent rioting, outlining safety measures for worshippers to take when attending religious ceremonies.
The local Council of Mosques advised Muslims in Huddersfield, where there were reports of more violent rioting, to “refrain from actions that could escalate the situation.”
The Council said, “We urge all community members to remain peaceful and avoid engaging in any counter-protests.
“It is vital that we trust the authorities to handle this situation and allow them to work without interference.”
Throughout August 2, 3 and 4, violent protesters were on the streets in city and town centers across the UK, many of them apparently intent on clashing with police and causing havoc.
The gatherings ostensibly started as anti-immigration marches, organized on social media platforms like X and on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. They quickly turned disorderly and violent.
Protesters set ablaze two Holiday Inn hotels, in the town of Rotherham, northern England, and in Tamworth, in the Midlands, central England, that were believed to be housing asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their claims.
The Rotherham hotel at the time was “full of terrified residents and staff,” according to a statement by South Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield. (PressTV.ir)
