WORLD NEWS: RELIEF AS UK STREETS SEE RESPITE FROM FAR-RIGHT RIOTS

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The UK government and police breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday when more feared far-right riots failed to occur overnight, leaving thousands of anti-racism protestors in the streets instead.

The anti-racism marches on Wednesday evening went almost totally calm as police saturated the streets of various English towns and cities, emphasising that violence by suspected far-right agitators would not be permitted.

It followed a week of near-nightly riots that targeted mosques and migrant-related facilities across the country, including in Northern Ireland.

The violence was fuelled by social media misinformation regarding the accused perpetrator of a knife assault on July 29 that murdered three children.

London Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley, who deployed thousands of officers onto the streets of the capital on Wednesday, said he was “really pleased” with the outcome.

“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,” he told UK broadcasters.

Rowley stated that there had been a small number of arrests owing to “some local criminals” engaging in anti-social behaviour in particular areas, but that fears of “extreme-right disorder were allayed.”

The focus will now go to the upcoming weekend and whether the disorder will occur again.

Last weekend saw some of the most horrific incidents of violence.

Diana Johnson, a junior interior minister, stressed that Wednesday’s respite was only the beginning.

“It’s good that we didn’t see the level of disorder and criminality on our streets that we have in previous days,” she told Sky News.

“There is now further intelligence of events during the next few days and we need to see what happens there.”

Wednesday evening saw anti-racism and anti-fascist counter-protesters mass in considerable numbers, holding rallies in cities including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Newcastle.

“Whose streets? Our streets!” thousands chanted in Walthamstow, northeast London, where hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters joined the rally under a heavy police presence.

The government had put 6,000 specialist police on standby to deal with scores of potential flashpoints after far-right social media channels called for protests at an array of sites linked to immigration support services.

On Thursday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan thanked the “heroic police force working round the clock” and “those who came out peacefully to show London stands united against racism and Islamophobia”.

“And to those far-right thugs still intent on sowing hatred and division: you will never be welcome here,” he added on X.

Courts started on Wednesday to order jail terms for offenders tied to the unrest as authorities sought to deter fresh disorder.

The unrest, Britain’s worst since the 2011 London riots, has seen hundreds arrested and at least 120 charged and has led several countries to issue travel warnings for the UK.

London police said on Thursday that officers had made 10 further arrests overnight, a week after protests outside Downing Street in Westminster turned violent.

Rowley, who joined the dawn raids, said those arrested “aren’t protestors, patriots or decent citizens”.

“They’re thugs and criminals,” he noted, adding most had previous convictions for weapon possession, violence, drugs and other serious offences.

The riots broke out after three girls — aged nine, seven and six — were killed and five more children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northwest England.

False rumours initially spread on social media saying the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales.

UK media report that his parents are from Rwanda, which is overwhelmingly Christian.