U.K. police brace for more far-right violence as government warns of tough response

Protesters confront police in London this week following the fatal stabbing of three children at a dance class in northwest England. Several suspects arrested in violent protests that erupted after the fatal stabbing of three children in northwest England made court appearances Friday as officials braced for more clashes that Prime Minister Keir Starmer blamed on “far-right hatred.” Starmer vowed to end the mayhem and said police across the U.K. would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown in law and order on our streets.” Demonstrations in the coming days are being promoted online using phrases including “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats.” The protests are being called in towns and cities including Sunderland, Liverpool and Manchester, in England; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Cardiff, Wales. At the Southport Mosque, Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders gathered to say they were “united to defeat all forms of hatred and extremism in our country.” Merseyside Police, which is responsible for Southport, said it had made seven arrests so far and had a team of specialists reviewing hundreds of hours of video to identify anyone involved. “We didn’t smash no town up.” At a news conference Thursday, the prime minister said the street violence was “clearly driven by far-right hatred” as he announced a program designed to enable police to better share intelligence across agencies and move quickly to make arrests. Starmer said his National Violent Disorder Program would enable police to move among communities — just as the “marauding mobs” do.