Far-right protests took place across the UK on Saturday, when demonstrators clashed with riot police.
The protests and counter-demonstrations were held in cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Stoke, Hull, Nottingham and Belfast.
They followed another night of riots during which a mosque in Sunderland was attacked and several cases of arson were reported.
Protesters shouting “stop the boats” in support of far-right agitator Tommy Robinson were met with anti-racism protesters in some places.
In Manchester, there were scuffles between protesters and police in the city centre and at least two arrests, one for drunk and disorderly behaviour.
Protesters in Hull smashed a window at a hotel housing asylum seekers, while in Stoke video appeared to show stones and fireworks being thrown in the direction of police and counter-protesters.
In Liverpool, several police officers were injured while dealing with serious disorder, Merseyside Police said.
Bricks, bottles and a flare were also thrown at officers as they lined The Strand in the city centre.
Another officer was kicked and knocked off his motorcycle by a demonstrator and others tried to kick riot shields.
Humberside Police Chief Superintendent Darren Wildbore said officers have “faced eggs and bottles being thrown” as windows were smashed at the hotel which has housed migrants.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said those engaging in violent disorder “will pay the price” and that “criminal violence and disorder has no place on Britain’s streets”.
Violence broke out in the city of Sunderland on Friday night after a planned protest linked to the murder of three young girls in a knife attack in Southport last week.
Hundreds of people gathered in city centre, many of them draped in England flags and chanting anti-Islam slogans.
The protest, organised under the slogan Enough is Enough, descended into violence, with some demonstrators overturning a car that had been set on fire, while others gathered in front of a mosque, which police moved in to protect.
A mosque in Southport was attacked on Tuesday, a day after the three girls were stabbed to death at a summer club, which was followed by the spread of misinformation suggesting an asylum seeker on a terrorism watch list was responsible.
On Friday night, a police station in Sunderland city centre was attacked, cars were set on fire, and an office of the Citizens Advice Bureau, which provides free assistance to members of the public, was burnt down.
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Helena Barron said three officers had been taken to hospital to get treatment for their injuries.
“Anyone involved in the disorder we have seen can expect to be dealt with robustly, and that action has already begun,” she said.
“Eight people have so far been arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary. A full investigation is now under way to identify anyone else responsible.”
Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson condemned the violent scenes, which he described as “criminal thuggery”.
“I am appalled by the disorder in the centre of Sunderland tonight. Our city is not represented by a tiny minority causing trouble,” he said in a post on social media.
Police across Britain had been braced for violence fuelled by an organised disinformation campaign by far-right agitators.
Protests were planned for at least a dozen UK towns and cities this weekend.
Intelligence sources have told The National they expect a summer of riots to break out, raising memories of 2011, when London was gripped by looting and arson attacks.
At least 15 Enough is Enough rallies had been advertised online, calling on “patriots” to gather with England flags and demand an end to asylum seekers and migration.
Several of the advertisements included the phrases “save our kids” or “stop the boats”.
One of the planned far-right protests was due to take place near the route of a pro-Palestine march in central London.
Hundreds of mosques are strengthening their security and putting in place protective measures, while Home Office Minister Lord Hanson told would-be rioters to “be prepared to face the full force of the law on this criminal activity”.
Sunderland riots - in pictures
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police have his “full support” to take action against “extremists” attempting to “sow hate” by intimidating communities as he held emergency talks with ministers over the unrest in parts of England.
Mr Starmer also created a violent disorder unit and vowed to “take every step possible” to keep the Muslim community safe after days of riots.
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, six-year-old Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were stabbed to death during an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday.
A 17 year old, identified as Axel Rudakubana from Banks in Lancashire, has been charged with the murder of the three girls, as well as the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight other children at the event. He has also been charged with possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
More on animal trafficking
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
