The United Kingdom government announced on Tuesday that 6,000 specialist police officers are ready to deal with far-right rioting that broke out following the murder of three children, triggering a week of violence.
Justice minister Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, “We will make sure that anyone who is given a custodial sentence as a result of the riots and disorder, there will be a prison place waiting for them.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting of ministers and police chiefs to discuss the unrest and said the government will “ramp up criminal justice” to ensure that “sanctions are swift”.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said 378 people had so far been arrested and that others would be “brought to justice”.
Starmer warned rioters on Sunday that they would “regret” participating in England’s worst disorder in 13 years. Interior minister Yvette Cooper told the BBC on Monday, “There will be a reckoning”.
Cooper also said that social media put a “rocket booster” under the violence. Starmer stressed that “criminal law applies online as well as offline”.
On Tuesday, Alexander criticised Elon Musk, owner of X, after he claimed “civil war” in the UK was “inevitable”. Alexander said, “I think it is deeply irresponsible. I think everyone should be appealing for calm.”
Local councillor Afrasiab Anwar said, “What type of evil individual(s) would undertake such outrageous actions, in a sacrosanct place of reflection, where loved ones are buried, solely intended to provoke racial tensions?”
