British police issued a statement on Sunday saying they were dealing with a state of disorder in the town of Middlesbrough, in northern England, following a protest that began at around 2pm local time.
Police added: “A number of arrests have been made. The public has been asked to avoid the area.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said on Sunday that 147 people had been arrested across the country since Saturday night, amid ongoing unrest, and the number was expected to rise significantly.
For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he described as “far-right thuggery”, as violent demonstrations continued on Sunday in several cities in the United Kingdom.
Starmer said from Downing Street: “I strongly condemn the far-right thuggery that we have seen this week. There is no doubt that those involved in this violence will face the full force of the law.”
Starmer added: “This is not a protest. This is organised violent thuggery. It has no place on our streets or online,” confirming that police will make arrests and convictions will follow.
“I assure you that you will regret taking part in this chaos, whether directly or by inciting it online, and then running away,” Starmer said.
Starmer addressed the violent scenes in the northern English town of Rotherham, where crowds were seen causing chaos outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.
According to a statement from the British prime minister’s office, Starmer pledged that the authorities “will do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice”.
Starmer strongly criticised the far-right violence, which was particularly severe in the northern English town of Rotherham, where police struggled to repel a crowd of rioters who sought to storm the hotel.
The violence erupted on Tuesday in Southport, after three girls were stabbed to death at a children’s dance school during a children’s event featuring the American star Taylor Swift.
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