London: The UK government announced on Tuesday that 6,000 specialist police officers are ready to address far-right rioting that erupted following the murder of three children. The unrest has persisted for seven consecutive days.

On Monday, six individuals were arrested, and several police officers were injured in Plymouth, southern England, where they were attacked with bricks and fireworks. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, officers faced assaults as rioters attempted to set fire to a shop owned by a foreign national.

In Birmingham, central England, a group of men gathered to counter a rumored far-right demonstration. They forced a Sky News reporter off air, shouting "Free Palestine," and she was pursued by a man in a balaclava holding a knife. Another reporter was chased by members of the group with what appeared to be a weapon. Police reported incidents of criminal damage to a pub and a car.

The violence began last Tuesday after three children were killed in a stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northwest England. Since then, riots have flared in several cities and towns, resulting in hundreds of arrests.

Justice Minister Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday that the government had made available an additional 500 prison places and mobilized 6,000 specialist police officers to handle the ongoing violence. "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," she said.

False Rumours Fuel Unrest

Mobs have thrown bricks and flares, attacked police, burned and looted shops, smashed car and home windows, and targeted at least two hotels housing asylum seekers in various cities over the weekend. Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency meeting with ministers and police chiefs on Monday to address the unrest. The government will "ramp up criminal justice" to ensure that "sanctions are swift," Starmer said following the meeting.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) reported that 378 people had been arrested so far and vowed that others would be "brought to justice."

Clashes began in Southport on Wednesday, the day after three young girls were killed and five other children were critically injured in the knife attack. Initial false rumours on social media claimed the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales, with parents from Rwanda, which has very few Muslims. Nonetheless, mosques have been targeted by rioters.

The government has offered new emergency security to Islamic places of worship. In Burnley, northwest England, a hate crime investigation is underway after gravestones in a Muslim section of a cemetery were vandalised with grey paint. Local councillor Afrasiab Anwar condemned the act, asking, "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?"

The prime minister 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 that "there will be a reckoning," adding that social media had put a "rocket booster" under the violence. Starmer emphasized 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 called Musk's comments "deeply irresponsible" and urged everyone to appeal for calm.

Police have attributed the violence to individuals associated with the now-defunct English Defence League, a far-right Islamophobic organisation linked to football hooliganism. The rallies have been advertised on far-right social media channels under the banner "Enough is enough."