Riots flare in another UK city as police brace for weekend turmoil

Rioting erupted Friday evening in Sunderland, northeast England, where police said officers faced “serious and sustained levels of violence”, the latest unrest linked to a mass stabbing earlier this week that killed three young girls.

Eight people were arrested and three officers required hospital treatment following hours of “utterly deplorable” disturbances, Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Helena Barron said. Two officers remained in the hospital early Saturday, she added. Footage broadcast by the BBC showed a mob of several hundred rampaging in Sunderland’s city centre, attacking police and setting fire to at least one car and a building next to a police office.

Other images shared on social media showed balaclava-clad youths throwing bricks and other missiles as fireworks and flares were let off. “The shocking scenes we have witnessed in Sunderland this evening are completely unacceptable,” Barron said, adding the “disorder, violence and damage” seen “will not be tolerated”. “A full investigation is now underway to identify anyone else responsible” in addition to the eight people arrested, she added.

The disorder came as police nationwide prepared for planned far-right rallies and other demonstrations this weekend, after two nights of unrest in several English towns and cities in the wake of Monday’s knife attack. London’s Metropolitan Police said it had a “proportionate and risk-based” plan for rival pro-Palestinian and anti-immigration protests Saturday. Its officers arrested 111 people as a rally in Westminster turned violent late Wednesday.

But Friday night’s disturbances in Sunderland, after a calm night nationwide Thursday, were an ominous sign for the coming days. – ‘Deeply anxious’ – Responding to events there, interior minister Yvette Cooper vowed rioters will “pay the price for their violence and thuggery”. She gave police “the full backing of the government to take the strongest possible action and ensure they face the full force of the law”.

“They do not represent Britain,” Cooper said. Earlier, Merseyside Police said extra officers had been deployed in and around Liverpool city centre “to help prevent disorder or criminality” there. Despite a minor skirmish near a mosque, the evening passed off peacefully.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused “thugs” of “hijacking” the nation’s grief to “sow hatred” and pledged that anyone carrying out violent acts will “face the full force of the law”.