Anti-racism protesters took to the streets of the UK on Wednesday evening, following a week of far-right violence and rioting in cities fuelled by misinformation over a stabbing attack against young girls.

In London, Bristol, Oxford, Liverpool and Birmingham, large, peaceful crowds gathered outside agencies and law firms specialising in immigration, which internet groups had listed as possible targets of far-right activity, according to Euronews.

In London, Bristol, Oxford, Liverpool and Birmingham, large, peaceful crowds gathered outside agencies and law firms specialising in immigration, which internet groups had listed as possible targets of far-right activity.

It was a vast change from the chaos that has erupted on streets throughout England and Belfast, Northern Ireland, since 30 July.

The head of London’s Metropolitan Police Service said earlier Wednesday that officers were focused on protecting immigration lawyers and services. In addition to thousands of officers already deployed, about 1,300 specialist forces were on standby in case of serious trouble in London.

“We’ll protect those people,” Commissioner Mark Rowley said. “It is completely unacceptable, regardless of your political views, to intimidate any sector of lawful activity, and we will not let the immigration asylum system be intimidated.”

A crowd of immigrant supporters quickly grew to several hundred in the London neighbourhood of North Finchley, finding themselves largely alone with several dozen police officers.

The crowd chanted, “Refugees welcome” and “London against racism”. Some held signs saying, “Stop the far right”, “Migration is not a crime” and “Finchley against Fascism”.

  • Saleh@feddit.orgEnglish
    12·
    1 month ago

    I’ve seen videos of mobs rampaging through neighbourhoods, smashing in windows and cars, throwing molotov cocktails at houses… While i appreciate that finally there is a counter movement, the pogroms need to be stopped at all places and the perpetuators must be jailed.

    However this is the direct result of decades of rampant racism in the Tory and Labour party, as well as major British media outlets. Unless these agitators are brought to justice too, the next pogrom is only a matter of time. Looking how Keir Starmer was eager to purge mostly non-white MPs and members from the party, often resorting to racial attacks, while defending openly racist MPs, i am afraid this was only the beginning of a further spiral into violent hate crime.