‘You Will Regret This,’ UK Prime Minister Warns Far-Right Protesters
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a stern warning to far-right protesters, stating they will “regret” their involvement in the country’s worst rioting in 13 years.
The violent unrest, stemming from the murder of three children earlier this week, has spread across England, with anti-immigration demonstrators clashing with police and causing widespread destruction.
In a televised address, Starmer condemned the “far-right thuggery” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. He assured that anyone involved in the disorder, either directly or indirectly, would face severe consequences.
The riots were ignited by misinformation about the mass stabbing in Southport, which claimed the lives of three children. False rumors regarding the suspect’s background have fueled the violence, targeting asylum seekers, mosques, and other Islamic places of worship.
Since Saturday, police have arrested over 150 people, with several officers injured in clashes with rioters. The chaos has seen shops looted and burned, and footage has emerged of rioters forcibly entering a hotel housing asylum seekers.
Religious leaders have made a joint appeal for calm, and the UK interior ministry has offered emergency security to Islamic places of worship. The violence poses a significant challenge for Starmer, who was elected just a month ago. He has pledged to take decisive action against those responsible and to address the underlying issues driving the unrest.
The rallies, advertised on far-right social media channels under the banner “Enough is enough,” have seen participants waving English and British flags while chanting slogans like “Stop the boats,” referring to irregular migrants crossing the Channel to Britain from France.
Anti-fascist demonstrators have held counter-rallies in several cities, including Leeds, where they shouted, “Nazi scum off our streets,” as the far-right protesters chanted, “You’re not English anymore.” Not all gatherings have turned violent, with a peaceful protest in Aldershot, southern England, on Sunday featuring placards reading “Stop the invasion” and “We’re not far-right, we’re just right.”
Commentators suggest that the demonstrators may feel emboldened by the political ascendancy of anti-immigration elements in British politics. In last month’s election, the Reform UK party, led by Brexit advocate Nigel Farage, captured 14 percent of the vote, marking one of the largest vote shares for a far-right British party.
Carla Denyer, co-leader of the left-wing Green party, called the unrest “a wake-up call to all politicians who have actively promoted or given in” to anti-immigration rhetoric.
