No end to UK protests as government expands jail capacity

AFP

The British government has increased its prison capacity to help tackle violent, week-long anti-immigrant riots that have prompted a growing number of countries to warn their citizens about the dangers of travelling in Britain.

Riots across a number of towns and cities have erupted following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport, a seaside town in northern England, after false messaging on social media wrongly identified the suspected killer.

The Justice department, which is being forced to release some prisoners early as it battles a jail overcrowding crisis, said nearly 600 prison places had been secured to accommodate those engaged in violence.

About 400 people have been arrested so far.

"My message to anyone who chooses to take part in this violence and thuggery is simple: the police, courts and prisons stand ready and you will face the consequences of your appalling acts," Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.

The unrest has prompted India, Australia, Nigeria and other countries to warn their citizens to stay vigilant.

Riva Peacock, a 22-year-old retail worker in Liverpool, where rioters clashed with police over the weekend, said the violence was shocking.

"There are a lot of people that blame immigrants for the state of this country," she told Reuters. "It's just a real shame that some of the most vulnerable people in our society have been used as a scapegoat for these issues."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed a reckoning to those who have attacked Mosques and hotels holding migrants, hurled bricks at the police and counter protesters, and looted shops and burnt cars.

Police on Tuesday charged a 28-year-old man with stirring up racial hatred over Facebook posts linked to the disorder. A 14-year-old pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

On Monday night trouble flared in Plymouth, southern England, and again in Belfast in Northern Ireland, where hundreds of rioters threw petrol bombs and heavy masonry at officers, and set a police Land Rover on fire.

A message online says immigration centres and law firms aiding migrants would be targeted on Wednesday.

More from International news

  • Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza, minister says no deal to halt attacks

    Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least 15 Palestinians, medics said, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.

  • Death toll from migrant rush into Ceuta rises to 72

    The death toll from Thursday's mass rush into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco reached at least 72 on Sunday as five more bodies were found along Ceuta's coast, officials said.

  • Ukrainian drones kill eight in Russia

    Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least eight people in Russian regions overnight and on Sunday, hitting targets including a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, regional officials said.

  • Two helicopters collide as Greece battles wildfires

    Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while helping to control a huge wildfire on Sunday that has destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens, while a fresh blaze forced evacuations on the popular tourist island of Kefalonia..

News