A video of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from August 2024 resurfaced in which he announced the formation of a permanent team of specially trained police officers to respond to riots. He had also said that the justice system would be strengthened to deal with the large number of arrests made after violent unrest spread across several UK cities.
Emergency Meeting Held After Violent Unrest
Starmer had called an emergency meeting following days of disorder, which he blamed on far-right groups and the spread of false information on social media. The violence erupted after a stabbing attack at a dance class that killed three young girls and left several others injured.
False claims circulating online wrongly identified the suspect as a Muslim asylum-seeker. These rumours triggered attacks on immigrants and Muslim communities in different parts of the country.
Strongly condemning the unrest, Starmer had said, “Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest. It is pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities.”
He had further warned, “The full force of the law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part in these activities.”
What was behind PM Keir Starmer Promise
During the unrest, violent groups attacked two hotels being used to house asylum seekers. Windows were smashed and fires were set before police moved in to disperse the crowds and evacuate residents.
In the six days of violence, dozens of police officers were hospitalised after being hit with bricks, bottles, and large wooden objects.
Local Leaders Pointed to Far-Right Involvement
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, whose area witnessed one of the hotel attacks, directly blamed far-right groups for the violence.
“As Keir said, as every decent person has said, I think these are far-right thugs who attacked some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and there is absolutely no excuse,” he told the BBC.
He added, “There can never be any excuse for trying to burn to death 200 of the most vulnerable people in our community.”
Government Ruled Out Army Deployment
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Starmer later clarified that the government had not requested the deployment of the army to control the unrest.
Mosques Offered Extra Security
In response to the attacks, the Home Office offered mosques increased protection under a new “rapid response process.” The move was aimed at quickly addressing threats to places of worship and preventing further violence.
Social Media Platforms Came Under Fire
Following the emergency meeting, Starmer’s spokesperson criticised social media companies for failing to control the spread of misinformation that fueled the unrest.
The government warned that anyone who encouraged violence either online or on the streets could face prison. Officials also noted that some misleading content appeared to be amplified by bots linked to foreign, state-backed activity.
