UK government says no need for army as it faces worst disorder in years

CNN
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The UK’s police minister has said there will be a “swift” approach to far-right protesters who have caused unrest across the country this week, but added there is no need to bring in the army.

In comments to the BBC, Dame Diana Johnson stressed the plan was to carry out swift arrests and charges to get protesters off the streets as quickly as possible and act as a deterrent to prevent further unrest.

His words come after more than 90 people were arrested in cities and towns across the country on Saturday and authorities put extra measures in place to maintain order. Britain is bracing for a new wave of protests on Sunday after a knife attack in northwest England this week sparked far-right-fuelled disorder.

The violent unrest is the worst seen in years and poses a huge challenge to Keir Starmer’s Labour government just weeks after he took power.

“We’ve seen, obviously, arrest, which is very important, and we want to send a very clear message that if people engage in this criminal disorder, they will be held accountable. They will be charged, they will be taken to court and there will be penalties,” Johnson said.

There have been discussions about bringing in the army to assist the police, but currently “there is no need to bring in the army,” Johnson said. “The police have made it very clear that they have all the resources they need at the moment. There is mutual aid, as I just described, and they have the powers they need.”

Several cities across the UK saw violent protests on Saturday, with many protesters chanting anti-immigrant and anti-Islam slogans. In Liverpool, PA Media reported that a community library was set on fire, with protesters trying to prevent firefighters from tackling the blaze.

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper denounced incidents of disorder and public unrest on Saturday and said “thuggery” would not be tolerated.

“That’s why we’re making sure we have additional prosecutors this weekend, and that the courts are ready,” she said. “We have to make sure that anyone who engages in this kind of unacceptable disorder pays the price.”

Tensions have been running high in cities across the UK since the Southport stabbing that left three children dead during a Taylor Swift-themed yoga class. The stabbing fuelled a wave of misinformation online, including false claims that the Southport attacker was an immigrant who had arrived in the UK illegally.

UK police confirmed the 17-year-old attacker was born in the Welsh capital Cardiff.

Joe Mulhall, research director at Hope Not Hate – a charity that campaigns against racism and fascism – warned that social media platform X, formerly Twitter, had become a central space for spreading dangerous misinformation and promoting protests.

Speaking to CNN, Mulhall said: “This wave of racist riots and attacks is not centrally organized, but has emerged from decentralized far-right networks, many of which operate in X.

“Several of the most prominent figures spreading misinformation and escalating tensions, most notably Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), had previously been removed from Platform X but have had their accounts restored since Elon Musk took control of the platform.

“This has allowed right-wing extremists to once again reach millions of people with their dangerous and divisive propaganda.”