Protests in Manchester turned to trouble in just a few minutes with two men arrested for public order offences, as tinderbox Britain braces for further mayhem.
More than 35 ‘Enough is Enough’ demonstrations are planned across the UK this weekend, with several counter-protests by groups such as Unite Against Fascism and Stand Up to Racism also set to take place.
Today, 24 rallies are expected – 22 of which are Enough is Enough protests, one an anti-racist protest and one is said to be a peaceful vigil.
Hundreds of protesters on both sides of railings set up to separate them can be seen in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens at 9.30 this morning.
There is a heavy police presence in place, with officers swiftly intervening and detaining one man after a verbal spat, with chants of ‘Nazi scum off our streets’ heard from the crowd.
Widespread disruption has torn through the country this week in the wake of the Southport stabbings, where three little girls were tragically killed.
The riots in cities including London, Hartlepool and Manchester are thought to be triggered by misinformation spread online as to the identity of the teenager suspected of killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.
Axel Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, was eventually named as the suspect in a bid to stop the chaos.
Southport locals – including Elsie’s mother – have desperately pleaded for the violence to stop to no avail.
Police form a divide between people taking part in the two Manchester protests
Activists take part in a protest at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester this morning
At 11am, Manchester Police put a Section 34 dispersal order in place for the city centre
Manchester Police separating protesters from Enough is Enough and anti fascist groups
There is also a small scattering of protesters in front of Portsmouth’s Guildhall, after the Enough is Enough rally kicked off at 10am
The protest in Portsmouth has seen crowds gather in front of the Guildhall
The Enough is Enough rallies have seen members of the far right among the protesters including one man with a swastika tattoo.
Photos show people holding signs reading ‘no to racism, no to fascism’ signs in the counter-protest in Manchester, where an estimated 500 people have turned up.
There are chants of ‘ Tommy Robinson‘ heard from the protesting group – estimated to have around 150 activists – and ‘whose streets? our streets’ from the counter side, of around 350 people.
Others show people with hoods up and masks covering their faces – except for one man who posed for the camera as he was detained by the police.
There is also a scattering of protesters in front of Portsmouth’s Guildhall, after the Enough is Enough rally kicked off at 10am.
At 11am, Manchester Police put a Section 34 dispersal order in place for the city centre for today.
There is also one in place in Blackburn, Lancs, where another rally is planned to take place.
In High Wycombe, some shops have remained closed in preparation for the protest at 1pm – but photos show no police presence or demonstrators as of yet.
The notice will mean officers have powers to seize any item used in the commission of anti-social behaviour until 7pm on Saturday.
Chief Inspector Natasha Evans said: ‘These powers have been authorised to make sure we can continue to provide and facilitate the right to any peaceful protests that have been organised.
‘Our officers will be able to instruct and advise anyone who is causing or very likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to leave an area immediately.
‘People have a legal right to participate in peaceful protest, however where people are intent on breaking the law, we will take action.
The Enough is Enough members in Manchester shouted ‘save our kids’ and held up placards with ‘stop the boats’ as they gathered.
Extra lawyers have been hauled in for weekend duty in preparation for a mass crackdown on miscreants, while some plans suggest shuffling prisoners around the country free up more cells in the at risk areas.
Rallies are taking place across the country this morning, kicking off in Manchester as a man has already been detained at a clash between protesters
A man is detained by police near the anti-racism counter protest in Manchester
A second protestor is detained by the police at Piccadilly Gardens today
Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest in Manchester today
Police officers stand guard as they block anti-racism demonstrators in Manchester
Police officers with riot helmets wait and watch on the street corner in Piccadilly Gardens
Police form a divide between people taking part in an anti-racism counter protest, (to the right) and activists protesting at Piccadilly Gardens
Pictures from Manchester show people with hoods up and masks covering their faces
Photos show people holding signs reading ‘No to racism, no to fascism’ signs in Manchester
On the same day, hundreds of people have gathered at the front of Belfast City Hall for an anti-racism rally.
The event has been organised in response to social media calls for anti-Islamic protests to be staged in Northern Ireland.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) previously said it was aware of social media posts calling for protests including ‘specific calls to block roads using women and children’.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said anti-Islamic protests would be ‘policed effectively’ if they do materialise.
A number of Christian church leaders in Northern Ireland also released statements condemning calls for protests.
It comes after Sunderland residents woke up to carnage after riots tore through the city, setting a police station on fire and injuring officers in a night of ‘unforgivable thuggery’ which saw a Citizen’s Advice centre go up in flames.
The devastating scenes are not over, as Britain is bracing itself for further chaos today.
In preparation, jail cells have been cleared and lawyers put on standby as widespread disruption tears through the country in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
Those waking up in Sunderland will be confronted with the wreckage after it was besieged last night, when rioting yobs torched a police station and looted shops, as riot police were attacked with bricks and missiles by hooligans.
In a warning to organisers this weekend, Home Office minister Lord Hanson vowed ‘we will be watching you’ to prevent ‘summer madness’ from spreading, with police chiefs also warning those exploiting the nation’s grief won’t be tolerated.
Kelly Chequer, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, expressed her condolences to the victims of the Southport stabbings – before slamming those who ran riot in the streets.
‘What we saw last night in sunderland was nothing more than mindless violence and disorder led by a minority with an agenda of hate. what we saw was totally unacceptable.
Police on horse back patrol as police on foot hold back anti-racism counter protesters at Piccadilly Gardens this morning as the mayhem continues
Police form a line to separate opposing demonstrators in Manchester
Chaotic scenes in Manchester this morning as police hold back counter-protesters
Police hold back anti-racism counter protesters at Piccadilly Gardens
People in front of an anti-racism counter protest at Piccadilly Gardens
Activists take part in a protest at Piccadilly Gardens, holding an England flag
Hundreds of protesters on both sides of railings set up to separate them can be seen in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens at 9.30 this morning
This morning, hundreds of counter-protesters gathered in Manchester in preparation for the Enough is Enough rallies taking place today
‘We know that sadly many of those in our city last night were not from here but came to cause chaos and stoke tensions and i want to make it clear that there is no place for these people. They are not welcome here.’
Four police officers are hospitalised, with 10 suspects arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary.
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall said: ‘I can confirm that four officers were taken to hospital for treatment last night.
‘Three received injuries as a direct result of the disorder.
‘In addition, one of our mounted riders sustained serious injuries in an accident and is receiving treatment in hospital.’
He said a full investigation is now under way to identify those responsible.
‘Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law,’ he said.
He described the violent protests in Sunderland on Friday as ‘unforgivable’.
He said: ‘The shocking scenes we witnessed in Sunderland last night were appalling and completely unacceptable.
‘During the course of the evening, our officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence.
‘This was not a protest – this was unforgivable violence and disorder.’
He condemned the ‘attempt to drive division amongst us’ and said ‘we are committed to make sure that doesn’t happen’.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning, Sunderland MP Lewis Atkinson said he was ‘really sad’ about last night’s mayhem and the ‘racists [who] decided to turn up do not at all represent our city’.
He added: ‘A night of idiots will not prevent us from building.’
Former police chief constable Sue Sim urged those who are considering joining the mayhem this weekend to ‘think very carefully’ before causing ‘further pain and heartache’ to the little girls’ families.
Southport’s MP also slammed the thugs for their actions, and branded them as ‘disgusting extremists hijacking grief’, following the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party on Monday.
Misinformation about a migrant on an MI6 watch list being the culprit was spread online – thought to have originated from a Russian-linked website – before the legal restrictions stopping the real suspect from being named were lifted.
But naming the suspect hasn’t stopped the yobs from rioting, with many adverts for the rallies loaded with anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Sunderland is waking up to carnage after riots tore through the city, as the clean up work begins with local residents and police starting to restore order. The burnt-out shell of a car that was torched in the riots last night is pictured
The burnt out interior of Sunderland Central Police Station today
The burnt remains of Sunderland Central Police Station this morning after the building was set on fire by rioters during violent protests last night
A smashed window is seen in Sunderland after the violent night of protests
Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson speaks to the crowd of helpers as clean up work begins to restore order to the streets of Sunderland this morning
Police and residents are seen in Sunderland today, with damage seen in the background
A police car is parked near a cordon in Sunderland this morning after the riots
This weekend, mosques across the nation have ramped up their security in fear of being targeted after several were the scenes of violent demonstrations.
Southport locals – including Elsie’s mother – have desperately pleaded for the violence to stop to no avail.
Yesterday evening, hundreds of people gathered in Keel Square in Sunderland, many of them draped in England flags.
Members of the crowd chanted in support of Tommy Robinson, while others shouted insults about Islam.
Mounted police followed the march, along with officers in vans who battled their way through traffic to keep up.
However, some protesters descended into violence, setting an overturned car on fire, while others targeted a mosque.
Videos posted on social media appeared to show a fire at a city centre police office, which was marked permanently closed on Google Maps and was no longer listed on a police station finder on Northumbria Police’s website.
Police in protective gear came under sustained attack as rioters set off fire extinguishers on them on High West Street.
But the community has come together this morning to rebuild and restore their city.
Mayor of the North East Kim McGuinness told BBC Breakfast: ‘Things like this really affect the way that local people feel but the clean-up overnight from Sunderland Council has clearly been absolutely massive.
‘And what I’m really heartened by, alongside the thousands of people contacting me saying ‘this is not what we’re about, we’re about that love and that compassion’ is the fact that people in Sunderland are going to come together this morning and help with that clean up.
‘And I think that really shows the true spirit of what we are as the north east and as Sunderland.’
An Enough is Enough protest in Sunderland saw scenes of carnage in the city yesterday
More than 35 rallies are planned in towns and cities across the UK today, after more riots broke out in Sunderland last night
Axel Rudakubana (pictured as a child) is charged with murdering three little girls and harming 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport with a ‘curved kitchen knife’
Priti Patel called the riots ‘totally unacceptable’ as she urged for Parliament to be recalled
Asked whether there was any specific knowledge of the events that were planned for Sunderland before, she replied: ‘We saw that these far-right groups were advertising what they called a peaceful protest yesterday in Sunderland.
‘That was anything but peaceful. It was out and out crime and violence and the police response was strong, protecting a mosque and really having to stand up to very sustained crime and violence from these thugs.’
Tory leader hopeful Priti Patel called the riots ‘totally unacceptable’ as she urged for Parliament to be recalled.
She said: ‘Saying the nation is ‘braced for disorder’ is not only breathtakingly complacent, but both troubling and inadequate. The Government is now in danger of appearing to be swept away with events rather than maintaining control of them.
‘That is precisely why as Home Secretary I brought forward much stronger protections against disproportionate protest and disorder, in the teeth of fierce opposition. But it was the right thing to do and those powers must be used to their maximal extent now.
‘Now is a moment for national reflection and solidarity – to pull back from the wave of violence we have seen, to call it out for what it is – without fear or favour – and for Parliament to speak with one voice in condemnation. We either believe in the rule of law, or we do not.
‘That is why Parliament must be recalled immediately.’
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick condemned ‘far-right’ organising of riots across the country and said ‘if there is a case’ for proscribing the English Defence League (EDL) it should be ‘considered.’
He said the violence across the country must be ‘condemned unequivocally across the political spectrum’.
He also criticised Nigel Farage’s remarks about the Southport stabbings, saying they did not ‘make the situation better’.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, was also fatally wounded in the attack which shocked the nation on Monday, as misinformation online triggered riots after the tragedy
Bebe King, aged six, was also killed in the attack by the teenager in Southport
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged nine, was one of three children killed by a knifeman at a Taylor-Swift themed dance class in Southport
Police in riot gear stand on a street as some far-right activists held an Enough is Enough protest in Sunderland yesterday
Police officers form a wall across a road as protests erupted in Sunderland on Friday night
Asked for his view on the remarks from the Reform UK leader, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I don’t follow all the comments that Nigel Farage says but I don’t think any of us should be doing anything to make the job of the police more difficult at this time.’
Asked whether Mr Farage’s comments had made the police’s job more difficult, he said: ‘I don’t think they made the situation better did they?
‘So I think we should all be choosing our words carefully, backing the police to the hilt and doing everything we can to ensure our streets are safe and this violence, which I’m worried is escalating, comes to an end as swiftly as possible.’
Last night, there was also a standoff between police and protesters outside a mosque on Sunderland’s St Mark’s Road, as officers in riot gear came under attack with stones and beer cans thrown.
Some protesters argued about ‘two-tier policing’ as the police threw a protective ring around the mosque.
Mounted police pushed back demonstrators, some of whom were in masks.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said those stoking the scenes of disorder ‘do not represent Britain’.
She posted on X: ‘Criminals attacking the police & stoking disorder on our streets will pay the price for their violence & thuggery.
‘The police have the full backing of Government to take the strongest possible action & ensure they face the full force of the law.’
Sunderland AFC said the city ‘will forever be for all’.
‘Tonight’s shameful scenes do not represent our culture, our history, or our people,’ a post by the team’s X account said.
‘Our great city is built on togetherness and acceptance, and Sunderland will forever be for all. We are stronger as one community. Now. Then. Always.’
Police separated two protests outside a mosque in Liverpool last night amid rioting
Mounted police pushed back demonstrators in Sunderland last night
Bridget Phillipson called it ‘unforgivable violence and thuggery’
In Sunderland, thugs firebombed one of the town’s police stations – with thugs then seen charging through halls, smashing windows and breaking tables.
Flames engulfed the central police office on Waterloo Place as rioters ransacked the HQ, while a mob of hundreds of people marched through the streets of the northern town – as Britain’s summer of discontent rages on.
Violent blows were dealt between officers and yobs, as bricks and beer cans were flung through the air, and cars were flipped and set alight.
Details of the planned demonstrations for this weekend have been spread by far-right social media accounts and groups on encrypted messaging apps as they seek to whip up crowds.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, demanded that ministers ‘do something’ about social media which he said was being used to ‘whip up lies’.
And Zara Mohammed, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said hundreds of mosques across the country will be strengthening their security and protective measures this weekend out of fear.
Former business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch speaking to the Telegraph warned that ‘you can’t just ignore the tension.’
‘They should be saying that we need a clearer strategy on integration, which we don’t have at the moment.
‘Instead, we just pretend that everything is fine and it’s a few bad apples, which is sometimes the case. But if you want to have a successful multi-racial country, you need to make an effort to do that. You can’t just pretend that there are no tensions.’
Riots have ignited in Sunderland in the aftermath of the stabbing in Southport
A yob sprays fire extinguisher foam at armed police in Sunderland city centre on Friday
Firefighters tackle damage from the blaze following violence in Sunderland
10 Downing Street, London, lit up in pink yesterday in remembrance of those killed
Liverpool Town Hall lit up in pink last night in tribute to those killed
Violence first erupted after a remembrance vigil for Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, on Tuesday after thugs travelled into the seaside town and centred a riot around the local mosque – whose windows were smashed in a brutal attack.
Merseyside Police said a 32-year-old man, from Wigan, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of violent disorder and remains in custody for questioning.
On Wednesday evening, more than 100 protesters were arrested on Whitehall, where bottles and cans were thrown at police, and violence broke out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and in Manchester outside the Holiday Inn on Oldham Road.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a new ‘national’ response to the disorder linking police forces across the country.
Experts will be examining footage of the demonstrations, with officers in helicopters filming who is attending to record evidence of criminality.
And on Friday evening rioters battled police in the streets of Sunderland city centre following a planned protest linked to the Southport knife attack.
Hundreds of people gathered in Keel Square, many of them draped in England flags, and members of the crowd chanted in support of Tommy Robinson, while others shouted insults about Islam.
Some protesters were involved in violence, setting an overturned car on fire, while others targeted a mosque.
Among the hundreds taking to the street in the besieged town in the north east included a shirtless man with a Nazi tattoo emblazoned across his chest.
Protesters draped in England flags let off flares in Sunderland town centre yesterday
Protesters hurl bricks at police on horseback near an Aldi store yesterday in Sunderland
The topless man was filmed launching into a racist tirade, saying: ‘This time in your own f***ing country if you’re ashamed to be f***ing white and be an Englishman… f*** off.’
Videos posted on social media appeared to show a fire at a city centre police office, which was marked permanently closed on Google Maps and was no longer listed on a police station finder on Northumbria Police’s website.
Since then Championship football club Sunderland have issued a statement condemning the ‘shameful scenes’ that took place in the Wearside city on Friday night.
It said: ‘Tonight’s shameful scenes do not represent our culture, our history, or our people.
‘Our great city is built on togetherness and acceptance, and Sunderland will forever be for all. We are stronger as one community. Now. Then. Always.’
Northumbria Police said in a post on X that its officers had been ‘subjected to serious violence’, and added that three officers were taken to hospital.
