Violence escalated in Plymouth as police officers were injured during sustained violence for a seventh day following the Southport stabbings. Over 370 arrests have been made so far in connection with the disorder. Devon and Cornwall police reported six arrests in Plymouth on Monday, with several officers sustaining minor injuries and two members of the public being taken to the hospital.
The unrest in Plymouth involved the launching of bricks and fireworks towards officers who were trying to keep rival demonstrations apart. Masked anti-immigration protesters damaged a police van as they launched missiles at a counter-demonstration advocating against hate and Nazism. A Devon and Cornwall police officer described the situation as involving the throwing of “large masonry” at officers, emphasizing that it was no longer a protest but sustained violence.
Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell commended the officers for their brave and robust response to the criminal behavior displayed during the protests. The police deployed 150 officers in the city center to address public order offenses and assaults, resulting in the arrests made.
In Southport, a peaceful vigil was held a week after the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar. People gathered to remember the victims of the stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club, leaving flowers, heart-shaped balloons, and blowing bubbles in their memory.
Meanwhile, in Belfast, the Police Service of Northern Ireland dealt with ongoing disorder in the Donegall Road area, with reports of riot officers facing stones and petrol bombs. In Birmingham, a Sky News van was attacked by a knife-wielding man as the journalists observed a gathering of Muslim men preparing to defend the street against rumored far-right protests.
The West Midlands police confirmed they were investigating reports of a man possessing an offensive weapon and other incidents in the Bordesley area of the city. Despite rumors of clashes and far-right protests on social media, no arrests were made at that stage.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the assembly of a “standing army” of specialist police officers to crack down on rioting and called for perpetrators to be named and shamed. Labour leader Keir Starmer pledged to ramp up criminal justice efforts following an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the disorder over the weekend.
The prime minister’s standing army is an expansion of the existing mutual aid scheme, allowing officers to be deployed as needed across the country. While there were calls for parliament to be recalled, Johnson focused on ensuring that the police could carry out their duties effectively. MPs from various political parties urged the return of parliament from its summer recess to address the escalating violence and disorder across the country.
