LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has canceled a planned holiday to focus on his government’s response to a series of racist riots targeting Muslims and migrants, a Downing Street source said.
Thousands of police remained on duty over the weekend in case violence flared up again, although counter-demonstrators greatly outnumbered anti-migration protesters in several cities on Saturday for the fourth straight day.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Starmer would not be going on vacation next week.
His government quickly expedited the processing of people arrested and charged in connection with the riots.
On Friday, officials said 741 arrests had been made and 302 people charged since the unrest broke out.
Police said the arrests are likely to continue for months.
On Saturday, the National Council of Police Chiefs, which represents police leaders, said specialist officers had been ordered to pursue online offenders and influencers responsible for spreading hate and inciting violence on a large scale.
“Crime online has real-world consequences and you will be dealt with in the same way as those who are physically present and commit violence,” said Chris Haward, NPCC’s head of serious and organized crime.
At least two people have been jailed in recent days for inciting racial hatred in social media posts.
The unrest erupted after online posts falsely identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a July 29 knife attack in Southport, northwest England, as an Islamist migrant.
King Charles called for mutual respect and understanding on Friday and welcomed the way community groups have faced “aggression and criminality by a few”, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
