A violent protest erupted outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, as anti-immigration rioters clashed with police, breaking windows and vandalized the hotel, which houses asylum seekers.
Demonstrators hurled missiles, including glass bottles and wooden panels, at officers while chanting slogans like “Get them out” and “Yorkshire.”
The police in cities across the country have braced for continued far-right and anti-immigration protests spurred by a stabbing in a northern town last week
The unrest follows a series of violent protests across the UK, with over 100 arrests reported on Saturday in cities such as Liverpool and Manchester.
This latest incident has drawn widespread condemnation from officials, highlighting the escalating tensions surrounding immigration issues in the country
Sunday was expected to bring a new wave of clashes, with protests and counterprotests scheduled to take place in Lancaster, Yorkshire and elsewhere.
The police in Bolton, south of Manchester, issued a dispersal order for that city, and large groups of demonstrators gathered on Sunday afternoon in Middlesbrough, where two men were arrested, accused of setting fire to police vehicles overnight.
The riots on Saturday have prompted a heavy police response in cities across Britain. The National Police Chiefs’ Council, which represents law enforcement, has said that nearly 4,000 additional officers have been deployed to deter the violence.
“The police have our full backing,” Yvette Cooper, the British home secretary, said on Saturday. “I want everyone to be clear. Anyone who gets involved in criminal disorder, violent thuggery on our streets will have to pay the price.”
The crisis has emerged as the first test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s fledgling Labour government, which scrambled on Sunday to tamp down reports that Mr. Starmer was set to go on vacation this week.
His office said he was not scheduled to be out of town and would remain at 10 Downing Street to manage the fallout.
Tension has gripped some communities after a stabbing rampage killed three young girls and wounded many others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class last Monday in the town of Southport, near Liverpool. A 17-year-old suspect was later named.
Disinformation about the attacker’s identity spread quickly online, falsely identifying him as a migrant and fueling a violent, far-right riot in which a mosque was attacked and dozens of police officers were hurt in Southport on Tuesday.
Unrest has since spread to other parts of Britain, with violent protests in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and other cities over the weekend. A protest was also held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and also turned violent.
“This week we have seen appalling behavior that in no way shows compassion or respect for the little girls who were killed and injured,” Chief Constable BJ Harrington said on Saturday, adding, “It shows no respect for our communities, and it will be stopped.”
ALSO READ: Nationwide hunger protests escalate in Nigeria amidst government crackdown
In Liverpool, more than 300 people were involved in what the police called a “violent disorder” on Saturday night, when businesses were looted and rioters hurled bricks and other projectiles at police officers.
Two police officers were taken to the hospital, one with a “suspected broken nose” and another with a likely broken jaw. By Sunday morning, at least 11 people had been arrested, the police said.
Far-right protesters and counterprotesters also clashed in Manchester, where the police issued a dispersal order for all demonstrations in parts of the city center.
At the same time, at least 10 people were arrested in unrest on Saturday south of Manchester in Stoke-on-Trent, where the police were beginning to scale back early Sunday.
Fights also broke out in Leeds, where the police said they had made a “handful” of arrests. In Nottingham, where multiple demonstrations took place on Saturday, 15 people were arrested in what the police described as a “largely peaceful” day.
“Anyone who comes into the city or our neighborhoods over the coming days to cause any kind of disorder can expect a robust response,” said Steve Cooper, the deputy chief constable for Nottinghamshire.
The New York Times report said the wave of protests and unrest has been driven by fast-spreading online misinformation, much of it promulgated by far-right voices on the social media platform X and the Telegram messaging app.
They include neo-Nazis, violent soccer fans, anti-Muslim factions, and social media influencers who have amplified their messaging to followers.
By Saturday, unrest had also spread to Northern Ireland, where anti-immigration messaging has simmered across the island over the British government’s plan for asylum seekers.
In Belfast, clashes broke out between anti-Islam protesters and an antiracist demonstration at City Hall, with fireworks and other missiles being hurled between the two. Several businesses and vehicles were reportedly set on fire, and an apartment building had to be evacuated, the police said.
Officers prevented anti-immigration protesters from marching to the Belfast Islamic Center on Saturday, the Police Services of Northern Ireland said in a statement.
It said that while only four people were arrested, video footage and “every tool” would be used to identify those who caused damage.
“Those who engaged in this behavior bring nothing but shame to themselves and Belfast city,” said Davy Beck, the assistant chief constable.
Officials with the Ministry of Justice were reportedly in talks early Sunday that could see Britain’s courts open overnight in order to process the influx of arrests.
