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UK government under pressure as the country grapples with worst riots in 13 years

UK authorities faced growing pressure Sunday (Aug 4) 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.

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Unrest related to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls last week spread to multiple towns and cities on Saturday as anti-immigration demonstrators clashed 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.

About 90 people were arrested 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

centres to bolster security amid fears for its worshippers’ safety.

The rallies have been advertised on far-right social media channels under the banner “Enough is enough”.

They have seen protesters waving English and British flags while chanting slogans like “Stop the boats” – a reference to irregular migrants travelling to Britain from France.

Anti-fascist demonstrators held counter-rallies in many cities, including Leeds where they shouted, “Nazi scum off our streets”, as the far-right protesters chanted, “you’re not English any more”.

Not all of Saturday’s estimated 30 gatherings turned violent and some participants claimed to have legitimate grievances.

“People are fed up with being told you should be ashamed if you’re white and working class but I’m proud white working class,” 41-year-old Karina, who did not give her surname, told AFP in Nottingham.

Commentators have suggested that the demonstrators, spurred on by online influencers, may feel emboldened by the political ascendancy of anti-immigration elements in British politics.

At last month’s election, the Reform UK party captured 14 per cent of the vote – one of the largest vote shares for a far-right British party.

Starmer has accused “thugs” of “hijacking” the nation’s grief to “sow hatred” and has announced new measures to allow the sharing of intelligence, wider deployment of facial-recognition technology and criminal behaviour orders to restrict

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