LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Britain is
keeping thousands of specialised police on duty in case of racist
rioting at the weekend and the government said it was considering tightening
regulations around social media companies after
days of unrest driven by online misinformation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said
extra police numbers and swift justice had deterred
people he referred to as "far-right thugs" since
Wednesday, but that the authorities would stay on high alert for further
trouble.
Racist attacks and disorder have
mostly targeted Muslims and
migrants. Hotels housing asylum-seekers have had their windows smashed
and mosques have been pelted with rocks.
Those involved in the riots could
expect to be brought before the courts, Starmer said, noting that what
he called "significant sentences" had already been handed out.
"That is a very important part of
the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further
disorder," he told reporters during a visit to a police command centre
in London.
It is not clear how many far-right
gatherings are planned or if they will go ahead. There are around 40
counter-protests due on Saturday, according to the Stand Up to Racism
group.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council
(NPCC) said 6,000 public order trained officers would remain on duty
over the weekend.
"While the previous two nights have
been a welcome break from the appalling scenes of the last week, and may
have reached a turning point, we are by no means complacent," Chief
Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair, said.
"We are working hard to bring this
disorder to an end, but arrests are just getting started."
Almost 600 people have been arrested
so far for involvement in, or online encouragement of, attacks on
Muslim, immigration and other sites as well as police since late last
month, with a 13-year-old among those charged.
Data released on Friday by the
Justice Ministry showed that more than 150 of those charged have already
appeared in court. Dozens have already been jailed with cases
fast-tracked through the justice system and more due to be sentenced on
Friday.
Charges have also been brought
against people involved in counter-protests.
Prosecutors said a local councillor,
who was suspended by Starmer's Labour Party on Thursday after footage
emerged of him calling for people to cut the throats of "disgusting Nazi
fascists", had been charged with encouraging violent disorder and would
appear at court on Friday.
'HIGH ALERT'
The riots broke out across the
country after a wave of false
online posts wrongly identified the suspected
killer of three young girls in a knife attack on
July 29 in Southport, northwest England, as an Islamist migrant.
Cabinet Office minister Nick
Thomas–Symonds told Sky News on Friday the government would revisit the
framework of the country's Online Safety Act that regulates social media
companies' responsibilities regarding content inciting violence or hate.
"We stand ready to make changes if
necessary," he said of the act, passed in October but not due to come
into effect until next year due to a consultation process.
Predicted widespread far-right riots failed
to materialise on Wednesday, when thousands of
counter-protesters took the streets across the country, giving hope to
authorities and worried community
leaders that the disorder was fizzling
out.
"We have to stay on high alert going
into this weekend," Starmer told reporters.
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Reporting by Catarina Demony; Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Philippa Fletcher
