UK rioters thwarted by 'show of unity' by communities, says police chief

8/8/2024 16:23

        A heavy security presence across Britain and a "show of unity" by local communities prevented a repeat of the widespread rioting seen in recent days involving racist attacks targeting Muslims and migrants, London's police chief said on Thursday.
        
        Britain has been hit by a series of riots after the killing of three young girls in a July 29 knife attack in Southport, northwest England, triggering a wave of false online posts that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.
        
        Far-right groups opposed to immigration planned dozens of gatherings across the UK on Wednesday.
        
        In response, thousands of police and anti-racism protesters gathered in cities across the United Kingdom and London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said the night had gone "very peacefully" apart from a few criminal incidents.
        
        "I think the show of force from the police, and frankly, the show of unity from communities, together defeated the challenges that we've seen," Rowley told reporters.