Riots erupt in Sunderland as UK police prepare for weekend unrest

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Far-right protesters took to the streets of Sunderland, north-east England on Friday night as police braced for a turbulent weekend, with protests – sparked by the murder of three young girls on Monday – expected in dozens of towns and cities.

An interior minister has warned of the “possibility” of further violence and told protesters that the authorities “will be watching” them.

In Sunderland, protesters set fire to a building next to a police station, overturned cars and threw objects at riot police. Earlier, police stopped dozens of rioters from attacking a mosque.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth on Saturday condemned the violence as “an inexcusable crime”.

“Violence, looting, vandalism — all of these actions are not protests, they are criminal acts,” she said.

“Nor is it about mourning the loss of innocent children in Southport. The families of those victims were not given a second thought — they were used, in a disgusting way, to advance the extremist agenda of those who caused the trouble.”

In Liverpool, dozens of residents, including an elderly woman holding a sign reading “nans against Nazis”, gathered to protect a mosque from a small group of far-right thugs. Police kept the crowd apart.

Across the UK, police are expecting protests in many towns and cities. According to social media posts monitored by the anti-extremism campaign group Hope Not Hate, protests are planned at more than 30 locations in England and Wales through Sunday.

This comes after several nights of violence sparked by a mass stabbing in Southport on MondayAmong them were three girls killed, eight other children and two adults injured.

Kim McGuinness, the mayor of the North East, wrote on X: “I am appalled by the scenes in Sunderland. Make no mistake, if your response to this tragedy is to use it to commit violence, abuse others, attack police and destroy property then you are on the side of nothing but thuggery. That is not protest. That is crime and disorder.”

Home Secretary Lord David Hanson on Friday sought to stop people taking part in violent riots, warning they must “be prepared to face the full force of the law against this criminal activity”.

Series of arrests There have been protests across the UK this week after violence broke out at protests, including more than 100 people being arrested by police at a demonstration outside Downing Street.

Call for a hard line police The government’s adviser on tackling political violence, John Woodcock, formally known as Lord Walney, said forces “should stop people gathering” as such protests “fan the flames of violence”.

“People absolutely have the right to protest in this country, but they don’t have the right to riot,” Woodcock told the BBC.

Sir Keir Starmer met with local authorities, police and faith leaders in Southport late on Friday. The Prime Minister confirmed a support package to help bereaved families and community cohesion, including improved access to mental health and psychological services.

The move comes after the creation of a National Police Unit to tackle the violence, which will include measures previously used to crack down on football hooligans.

UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage said far-right activity was a “response to the fear, to the discomfort, to the insecurity” shared by “tens of millions of people” about immigration. The newly elected MP said he condemned violence and “thuggery”, but raised widespread concerns about “social decay”.

Farage has been accused by Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram of giving violent protesters “legitimacy” and “excuses” for their actions. Former counter-terrorism police chief Neil Basu has urged Farage to “think carefully” about the “power of words”.

This week’s protests featured protesters carrying anti-immigration messages, including “Enough” and “Stop the Boats.”

Ahead of the weekend, many protesters appeared to focus their attention on hotels that were allegedly housing asylum seekers, sometimes incorrectly.

In Manchester, which also saw similar chaos outside the Holiday Inn hotel in the north of the city on Wednesday night, another gathering is also planned to be held in the city centre on Saturday.

That demonstration was expected to attract a counter-demonstration and coincided with two unrelated protests over the Gaza conflict and transgender issues, complicating the police operation.

Plans for protests in London, Liverpool, Leeds, Middlesbrough and several other towns and cities in the north are also circulating on social media.

London’s Metropolitan Police said they had plans in place ahead of this weekend’s protests, including meeting Muslim community leaders and visiting local mosques.