COBRA meeting to be called after hundreds of far right thugs arrested (original) (raw)

Published: 05:45 EST, 5 August 2024 | Updated: 06:08 EST, 5 August 2024

Downing Street is expected to hold a Cobra emergency response meeting this morning after hundreds of far right thugs were arrested in riots which saw attacks on police and buildings set alight on the sixth day of escalating disorder. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed rioters would 'regret' engaging in 'far-right thuggery' and promised those involved in unrest would 'face the full force of the law' as he addressed the nation on Sunday.

Monday's meeting is due to involve relevant ministers and police representatives who will discuss the response in the coming days to ensure Britain is brought back from the edge of nationwide chaos. Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said this week's violence is 'clearly far-right extremism' that is 'driven by racism' and said he would have called a Cobra meeting sooner.

Riots have broken out across the country fuelled by misinformation on social media since three little girls were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport on Monday. Hundreds of police officers have been injured in clashes with thugs, as far-right activists led the way in attacking police officers, mosques and hotels thought to house asylum seekers this week.

Islamophobic chants were heard and in some areas of the country rioters were filmed stopping cars and interrogating drivers about whether they were 'white and English'. Speaking ahead of the Cobra meeting, the Home Secretary said the Government is not recalling Parliament 'right now': 'That's not what we're doing right now. What we're doing right now is keeping in close contact with MPs.'

Communities are now coming together to begin the massive clean-up operation in areas including Rotherham, Middlesbrough and Tamworth. In response, the Home Office announced on Sunday that mosques would be offered greater protection under a new 'rapid response process' designed to quickly tackle the threat of further attacks on places of worship. A large crowd gathered outside a mosque in Middlesbrough on Sunday night and others have also been targeted.

On Saturday night Spellow Lane Library in Liverpool was torched while in Sunderland local travel agents Hays Travel, known for its commitment to raising money for charity, had its storefront smashed. In Rotherham, anti-immigration rioters smashed the windows of the Holiday Inn Express before starting fires in an apparent attempt to set the building alight while dozens of people were inside it.

At least 10 officers were injured there, including one who was knocked unconscious, South Yorkshire Police confirmed later, saying one person had already been arrested and others involved should 'expect us to be at their doors very soon'. Masked men hurled lengths of wood, chairs and bottles, and sprayed fire extinguishers at officers outside after some 700 people gathered.

Islamophobic and racist chants were heard at multiple riots across the country, with images appearing to show some members of the mobs performing Nazi salutes. A similar incident played out at a Holiday Inn hotel in Tamworth into Sunday evening, where reports suggested asylum seekers were also being housed. People threw projectiles, smashed windows, started fires and targeted officers, Staffordshire Police said.

A group of rioters in Middlesbrough smashed the windows of houses and cars and threw objects at officers on Sunday afternoon, with one seen shouting a racial slur and another telling police: 'It's our [Expletive] country.' Video footage showed groups of youths and young men running from house to house and smashing windows and cars parked outside, throwing bricks, traffic cones and other objects.

And footage from a local park appeared to show a group of white men and boys with faces covered surrounding and attacking a group, with violence erupting before they fled the scene. Nearby, a Muslim leader at a mosque told community members who had turned out to protect their place of worship to 'show the world what Muslims are really like'. Addressing far-right violence in the town, he said: 'They are doing all the wrong things. We don't want to be part of it.'

Other local Muslims were seen carrying tea and coffee to police officers on the front line of the town amid fierce violence from the far-right. There were 43 arrests, and significant damage was caused to the Crown Court and the University, Cleveland Police said. Greater Manchester Police issued a Section 60AA order amid disturbances in Bolton, requiring people to 'remove face coverings used to disguise or conceal their appearance'. And in Weymouth, police said three people were arrested and dispersal orders put in place for several teenagers.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.