WATCH: Protests in Plymouth, England
Protests continued for another day in the United Kingdom, particularly in Plymouth, where people lined up in front of police while holding signs and chanting. (Reuters)
Protests continued across the United Kingdom on Monday after days of riots in response to the stabbing deaths of three young girls last week, which have plunged the country into the worst unrest it has seen in years.
In one video that surfaced on social media, a mob of Palestinian flag-carrying rioters were seen swarming a couple of hatchback vehicles in Birmingham while a man shouted into a bullhorn and directed the crowd on what to do. At one point, one of the cars was seen driving through the mob then through the grass to get to another portion of road and fleeing the scene.
In another video, a different group of anti-Israel protesters were seen marching past a British pub while a man stood outside. The man can’t be heard saying anything in the clip, but at one point he throws his arms to the side, appearing to taunt the protesters.
Then one of the protesters confronts the man and the two put up their fists before the protester punches the man. The man falls to the ground, only held up by a picnic table, when another protester approaches him and kicks the man in the torso. Several others join in, some holding Palestinian flags, while kicking and hitting the man.
UK RIOTS PLUNGE COUNTRY INTO WORST UNREST IN YEARS, PRIME MINISTER VOWS TO APPLY ‘FULL FORCE OF LAW’
Protesters gather at Guildhall square to face off against other protesters in Plymouth, England, on August 5, 2024. (Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In Plymouth, a crowd was seen gathered in front of a line of police officers in riot gear. As night began to fall, fireworks were lit and violent fights broke out.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said a “standing army” of specialist police would be set up to deal with rioting and that the justice system would be ramped up to deal with hundreds of arrests after violent disorder rocked cities across the nation over the past week.
“Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest, it is pure violence, and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities,” Starmer said on Monday. “The full force of law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part.”
RIOTS ERUPT IN UK AFTER STABBING SPREE FALSELY BLAMED ON ASYLUM SEEKER
Police officers intervene as protesters gather at Guildhall square in Plymouth, England, on August 5, 2024. (Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Riots and protests involving hundreds of people have created chaos in towns and cities across the country.
Dozens of police officers have been hospitalized for injuries in the past six days after being struck with bricks, bottles, chairs and large wooden posts.
On Sunday, angry mobs attacked two hotels used to house asylum seekers, breaking windows and lighting fires before police dispersed the crowds and residents were evacuated.
A man raises his arms while surrounded by police during a protest in Plymouth, England, on August 5, 2024. (Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Starmer blamed the violence on misinformation spread on social media that sparked outrage over a stabbing that left three young girls dead and others wounded at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in the town of Southport.
The false social media posts claimed that the suspected attacker was a radical Islamist who had recently arrived in Britain, Reuters reported. Police, however, identified the attacker as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Wales to Rwandan parents, and said authorities are not treating the incident as terror-related.
Suspects under 18 are typically not named in the U.K., but the judge in the case ordered the suspect to be identified to stop the spread of misinformation. The teen has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
A spokesperson for Starmer said on Monday that social media companies have not done enough to prevent the spread of misinformation and that some of that false and misleading information has come from foreign states.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Stephen Sorace as well as the Associated Press contributed to this report.
