London, August 08, 2024, The Europe Today: Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators took to the streets of London and other cities to rally against a surge in anti-immigrant marches organized by far-right groups that have sparked riots in recent days.
The Metropolitan Police deployed thousands of officers to the British capital, London, with around 1,300 specialist forces on standby in case of serious trouble. By Wednesday evening, anti-racism protesters filled the streets with messages welcoming immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.
Large and peaceful protests also took place in Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol, and other cities. Demonstrators in London banged drums and chanted slogans like “refugees welcome” and “London against racism.” Outside an immigration center in the Walthamstow area of east London, a counter-protest leader shouted, “fascists gone,” to which a crowd of hundreds responded: “off our streets.” Signs with messages such as “Stop the far right,” “Migration is not a crime,” and “Finchley against fascism” were prominently displayed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the recent disturbances, describing them as “far-right thuggery” and rejecting suggestions that the riots were related to the government’s immigration policies.
Tensions were particularly high in London after officers clashed with protesters during a demonstration last week, resulting in over 100 arrests. Hundreds more were arrested in other parts of the UK, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Belfast, following unrest. The head of London’s Metropolitan Police stated that officers were focused on protecting immigration lawyers and services.
The UK has experienced some of the worst social unrest in recent years over the past week, following the spread of misinformation about the suspect in a knife attack that killed three girls in northwestern England. Social media users falsely identified the suspect as an immigrant and a Muslim, leading to anti-immigration riots, attacks on mosques, and break-ins at hotels sheltering immigrants and asylum-seekers, creating fear in Muslim and immigrant communities.
