A protester holding a piece of concrete walks towards riot police as clashes erupt in Bristol on August 3, 2024 during the 'Enough is Enough' demonstration held in reaction to the fatal stabbings in Southport on July 29. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
London: UK authorities faced growing pressure on Sunday to put an end to England's worst rioting in 13 years after disturbances linked to child murders and involving far-riot agitators flared across the country.
Unrest related to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls earlier this week has spread to multiple towns and cities, with anti-immigration demonstrators clashing with police.
The violence is posing a major test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was elected only a month ago after leading Labour to a landslide win over the Conservatives.
In the latest incident, trouble flared in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Sunday when masked anti-immigration demonstrators smashed several windows at a hotel that has been used to house asylum seekers.
More than 90 people were arrested on Saturday after skirmishes broke out at far-right rallies in numerous places, including Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool and Hull, as well as Belfast in Northern Ireland.
In some instances, rioters threw bricks, bottles and flares at police -- injuring several officers -- looted and burnt shops, while demonstrators shouted anti-Islamic slurs as they clashed with counter-protesters.
The violence is the worst England has seen since the summer of 2011, when widespread rioting took place following the police killing of a mixed-race man in north London.
"We're now seeing it (trouble) flooding across major cities and towns," said Tiffany Lynch of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
The government said the police have "all the resources they need" to deal with the disorder, as forces drafted in thousands of extra officers to try to stop the violence from spreading further.
Policing minister Diana Johnson told BBC News on Sunday that the rioting would "not be tolerated", while justice minister Shabana Mahmood has insisted that "the whole justice system is ready to deliver convictions as quickly as possible".
The disturbance in Rotherham marked the fifth day of skirmishes following Monday's frenzied knife attack at a Taylor Swift-theme dance party in Southport, near Liverpool on England's northwest coast.
