British police remained on alert Thursday after a heavy security presence, swift arrests and displays of unity by people across Britain on Wednesday prevented a repeat of widespread riots involving racist attacks on Muslims and immigrants.
After police deployed en masse and thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets on Wednesday night, threats of mass gatherings by far-right anti-immigration groups failed to materialize.
But the government said it was still cautious after days of unrest sparked by false online posts misidentifying the suspected killer of three girls in a July 29 knife attack in Southport, north-west England.
Police said another 20 potential gatherings and three counter-gatherings were planned for Thursday.
“We will continue the strong police response, ensuring that there are additional police officers ready to respond,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told reporters.
So far, more than 480 people have been arrested across the country and nearly 150 have been charged. Dozens of them have already been sentenced and their cases have been processed quickly through the judicial system.
Britain's top police officer, London Commissioner Mark Rowley, said many of those arrested had criminal records.
For Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor, it is the first major test of his tenure since winning a July 4 election in which the previous Conservative government highlighted immigration as a major issue.
Rowley dismissed suggestions that the riots were political.
“Any suggestion that they are patriots or have a cause… is nonsense,” Rowley said. “They are criminals.”
On Wednesday, several thousand people from anti-racist groups gathered in Walthamstow, north London, following threats against an immigration advice centre there. Others demonstrated to protect mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers, which were among other targets.
Rowley praised a “successful” night that passed “very peacefully” apart from a few criminal incidents.
Images circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed a Starmer Labour councillor at the Walthamstow meeting calling on people to cut the throats of “disgusting Nazi fascists”.
London police said a man in his 50s had been arrested on suspicion of offences including inciting murder. Labour said the behaviour was “totally unacceptable” and the man, a councillor from Dartford, Kent, had been suspended from the party.
'Better than expected'
The sentencing hearings for those involved in last week's riots continued on Thursday, with prison sentences ranging from 11 to 32 months. On Wednesday, one man was sentenced to three years in prison. The sentences also include those who incited violence on the Internet.
Swift and tough prosecution was seen as helping to quell the last major nationwide riots in England in 2011, for which nearly 4,000 people were arrested.
Starmer, who met with police and community leaders in Birmingham on Thursday, said Wednesday night went “much better than expected.” He will hold an emergency meeting with police on Thursday to discuss efforts to contain further unrest.
More than 100 police officers have been injured since the riots began, some with broken limbs.
“I was very keen that we could demonstrate that if you are involved in a disorder, within days you will be in the criminal justice system,” he told reporters. “It's something that needs to continue.”
There were no large far-right rallies on Wednesday.
According to Logically, a company that works with governments and other organisations to reduce the harm of misinformation, the planned disorder had been coordinated by an international network of far-right Telegram channels with links to banned groups.
Former members of banned neo-Nazi groups Atomwaffen Division and National Action had joined US-based networks of white supremacist, neo-Nazi and nationalist football hooligan groups, Active Club, to stoke tensions and provoke clashes. They were among the first to share a hit list, Logically said.
