Far-right violence rocks towns in UK

Police forces across the United Kingdom have made at least 90 arrests, with promises of more to follow, after outbreaks of rioting and looting in a number of cities across the country.

The violence comes in the aftermath of the killing of three young girls in a knife attack in the northwestern English town of Southport last Monday.

Misinformation shared on social media falsely identified the suspect arrested, who turned out to be a 17-year-old born in Wales, as an asylum seeker.

In subsequent days, violent disturbances have taken place in cities including Sunderland, Hull, Liverpool and Belfast, with social media platforms being used to spread the word and record incidents, including racial abuse and violence, and looting.

UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said "the whole justice system is ready to deliver convictions as quickly as possible", with talk of 24-hour court sessions to deal with those who have been arrested so far.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the trouble is "clearly driven by far-right hatred". Starmer has given police the government's "full support" to take action against what he called "extremists" who are attempting to "sow hate".

He also warned tech companies of their culpability for their role in what has happened. "Let me also say to large social media companies, and those who run them, violent disorder clearly whipped up online: that is also a crime. It's happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere," he added.

Joe Mulhall, from anti-fascism organization Hope Not Hate, told the Guardian newspaper that the initial disinformation had been spread by "individuals on Twitter, for example, that have been previously deplatformed… and now they've been replatformed".

Footage has been widely shared on social media of shops being looted, often by people making no attempt to hide their identity.

In Sunderland, the office of Citizens Advice, an organization that provides support to some of the most vulnerable people in society, was totally destroyed by fire.

Office chief Denise Irving told local newspaper the Sunderland Echo "we are absolutely devastated about what has happened. It has thrown us so far back that we don't know what we are going to do."

In Liverpool, a building which opened in May last year as a library and food bank was set alight.

Steve Rotheram, the mayor of Liverpool, said "it was so much more than a library. This was not an attack on a building but an attack on our very community."

"Let's call this out for what it is: mindless thuggery by people looking for an excuse to spew hatred and carry out acts of violence," he said.

"There can and must be consequences. They will feel the full force of the law."