The tragedy in Southport, where three young girls were stabbed to death while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, has become the scene of violent rioters and far-right groups.
Since Monday, when the horrors surfaced on Merseyside, protesters have caused chaos on the streets of Britain, breaking the bones of police officers, setting fire to community centres and looting businesses.
Far-right and neo-Nazi groups are said to have fueled the street protests, using social media to stoke anger and spread calls for hundreds of people to join anti-immigration demonstrations.
It has led to men with swastikas tattooed on their bodies appearing in residential areas, while others have been filmed giving the Hitler salute or chanting fascist slogans.
According to experts, the unrest is attributed to a ‘network’ or ‘post-organizational’ far-right.
A man with a swastika tattoo is seen at a far-right protest in Sunderland this week
A man in Belfast appears to raise his hand in a Hitler salute to police officers during an anti-immigration protest
Man at Manchester protest gives Hitler salute during demonstration
A group of men give the Hitler salute to police officers during a demonstration in Leicester
A police car burns as officers are deployed to the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest on Wednesday
Rather than older movements such as the English Defence League (EDL), the British National Party or the National Front, these protests are being fuelled by provocative individuals on social media, reacting to the news.
They use this underground movement to create momentum for their various ‘goals’, which can range from attacking migrant hotels, drag queen stories and 15-minute cities.
Following Monday’s stabbing attack in Southport, which also left eight children and two adults injured, a protest took place outside a mosque in the town.
This happened after misinformation was spread about the name of the person accused of the murders.
Fake news websites and Russian state media have falsely identified the suspect, claiming he arrived in the UK by boat last year and is on the M16 list.
According to The Sunday Times, the protesters initially planned to attack a migrant hotel, but when they were unable to find one, they decided to attack a local mosque instead.
Among those spotted at the first riot in Southport were members of Patriotic Alternative, a group that Michael Gove accused in the House of Commons earlier this year of promoting neo-Nazi ideology.
One of the leaders, Joe Marsh – also known as Joe Butler – reportedly shared an image on the Teegram account showing a bloody handprint and called on his followers for a “protest demonstration” titled “Enough is Enough”.
Far-right protesters arrived at Downing Street on Wednesday evening carrying signs reading: ‘We will not be silenced’
A police van was set on fire outside a mosque in Southport on Tuesday evening as rioting broke out
A burnt out police van at a mosque in Southport as shocking riots broke out on Tuesday
Damage to the Southport Islamic Society Mosque after rioters gathered around the sacred building
The unruly violence in Southport began on Wednesday after a poster reading ‘Keep Our Kids Safe’ and billed as a ‘peaceful protest’ was shared online.
The unrest has led to further protests and violence in every corner of Britain, from Liverpool to Bristol, London to Manchester.
The horrific scenes have left a number of British high streets devastated, with missiles being thrown at police officers and buildings.
A man with tattoos including a striking swastika on his back can be heard shouting “English, mate, I am” at a protest in Sunderland after being complimented on his “purely British” tattoos.
In other footage from Belfast yesterday, where Middle Eastern food shops were also attacked during an anti-immigration protest, a man can be seen raising his hand in a Nazi salute.
Former Chief Prosecutor for North West England, Nazir Afzal, wrote this week: Hitler salutes, swastika tattoos, defecating in gardens, looting local shops, attacking mosques, chanting fascist slogans, throwing missiles at everyone and setting fire to police stations, but don’t you dare call them ‘far right’.
“Well, then they’re just Nazis.”
LEEDS: A masked protester raises his arms outside Leeds Town Hall. The protesters are believed to have been organised in response to the killings in Southport
A person throws a chair in Bristol during violence on the streets of the southern city
Rubble lies at the feet of police officers thrown by protesters in Liverpool amid horrific violence
This week, a group of well-known far-right figures were spotted in connection with riots.
Reverend Rikki Doolan, who has spoken in the past about ‘ethnic nationalism’, was seen in Southport along with David Miles – better known as Jack the Nipper – who had travelled from the West Midlands and is described as an activist with Patriotic Alternative.
Meanwhile, Matthew Hankinson, who was previously jailed for his membership of National Action, tweeted during the riots: “Peaceful protest against anger at the murder of white children by a foreign import.”
Tommy Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – tweeted: ‘Britons are angry, they have been betrayed by their government, our children’s safety has been taken from us.’
‘The media is lying to us and people are fed up with being f***ing killed by the 2-tier police. Actually, they listen to you when you riot, that’s the message. [they] broadcast. This is Southport at the moment. People have had enough.’
Last night there was chaos in Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Manchester, with bins set on fire, shops looted and officers suffering broken bones.
A community library on Merseyside that only opened last year after months of fundraising was set up on fire when more than 300 people took to the streets in a deprived neighborhood.
MANCHESTER: Activists take part in a protest in Piccadilly Gardens, holding an English flag
Horrific video shows protesters attacking Asian man in his car in Hull
In Hull, tyres were set on fire as black smoke from the fire filled the city’s streets
NOTTINGHAM: Police officers arrest a woman during a protest as she shouts her protest
Police officers arrest a woman during a protest at Nottingham Market Square yesterday
As firefighters tried to extinguish the flames that had engulfed the Spellow Lane Library Hub (which also doubles as a food bank), rioters threw a projectile at the motorbike, then smashed the rear window of a nearby taxi.
Shocking photos taken this morning show the library’s gutted interior, with bookshelves lying on their sides and glass surrounding the remaining computers.
In Hull, a Shoezone was pictured with its windows smashed and a raging fire inside. Those involved were seen casually trading Crocs on the side of the road as chaos ensued.
Meanwhile, in Belfast, shops were brazenly set on fire and vandalised. Photos from one café show street urchins smashing their sofas to the ground.
Emergency services now preparing for more eruptions today with demonstrations scheduled in Rotherham, Rushmoor, Weymouth, Middlesborough and Lancaster this afternoon.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged his “full support” to police in taking action against “extremists” who seek to “spread hatred” by intimidating communities as he holds emergency talks with ministers over unrest in parts of England.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said those involved in the fighting “will pay the price” and that “criminal violence and disorder have no place on the streets of Britain”.