Far-right rioters in England have been deterred by the administration of “swift justice,” according to Policing Minister Diana Johnson. She warned that further arrests and charges would be brought against suspects.
Johnson attributed the de-escalation of violence on Wednesday night to the rapid mobilization of police officers, stating that this had a significant deterrent effect. Shops across the country were boarded up in anticipation of over 100 planned anti-immigration protests, but most of these failed to materialize as thousands of peaceful anti-racism demonstrators took to the streets.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Johnson praised the UK’s “tradition of peaceful protest” and highlighted the importance of the police response. The police response, the numbers, the mobilization that we’ve seen to get the police officers onto our streets and to be available if disorder occurs is really important and has had a good effect,” she said.
Johnson emphasized the swift action taken by law enforcement, noting that over 400 people have been arrested and more than 140 charged. We saw one case yesterday of a man who punched a police officer going to prison for three years. So I think that swift justice is really important,” she added.
More individuals arrested during the recent unrest are expected to appear in court on Thursday, with some likely to be jailed on live television. Three men were jailed on Wednesday for up to three years after admitting violent disorder following riots in Liverpool city center.
Johnson also warned that online activities would not be exempt from prosecution. It’s not just those physical acts on the street that we are going to make sure people are brought to account for, but it’s also what’s happening online,” she said. “If you do stuff online we will come for you just as much as we will come for you for what you do on the streets of our country, if you are carrying out criminal disorder and violence.”
Johnson welcomed the de-escalation of violence but remained cautious about the days ahead. “Obviously this is just the start. There is now further intelligence of events during the next few days and we need to see what happens there,” she said.
In response to a report in the i newspaper suggesting that far-right rioters could be banned from football matches, Johnson told LBC that “all options are being looked at.”
Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, confirmed that his officers conducted early morning raids on Thursday, targeting individuals suspected of causing disorder in Whitehall last week. A police spokesman later reported that 10 people had been arrested, bringing the total number detained to 121.
We have been out doing some dawn raids this morning, the people who were most violent in the Whitehall protests and violence last week … about 70% of them have got criminal backgrounds,” Rowley told BBC Radio 4. “We’ve got criminal damage, violence, weapons offences, football banning orders. These are criminal thugs. Any suggestion that they are patriots, or they’ve got a cause that they’re protesting about is nonsense, and frankly, most of them are going to be charged with violent disorder and most of them are going to go to prison for a few years.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the peaceful counter-protesters and the police force on X, stating, “To those who came out peacefully to show London stands united against racism and Islamophobia last night – thank you. To our heroic police force working round the clock to keep Londoners safe – thank you. And to those far-right thugs still intent on sowing hatred and division – you will never be welcome here.”
According to the Stand Up to Racism campaign group, approximately 25,000 people participated in the counter-protests on Wednesday, including about 8,000 in Walthamstow, 7,000 in Bristol, and 2,000 in Liverpool, with similar numbers in Brighton and Newcastle.
The Metropolitan Police reported that about 50 people gathered in North End Road, Croydon, south London, with the intention to cause disruption and disorder. There were 10 arrests after some individuals threw objects and bottles at police officers. The Met described the incident as “pure antisocial behavior” unrelated to protests.
Dozens of police officers in Aldershot separated opposing groups after tempers flared on Wednesday evening. In Bristol, Avon and Somerset police made an arrest after a brick was thrown at a police vehicle during a “largely peaceful” protest.
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