British Police chiefs have revealed that over 1,000 people have been arrested in the wake of the anti-mass migration riots and protests that swept the nation following the killing of three young girls last month in Southport.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) revealed on Wednesday that polices forces across the United Kingdom have made 1,024 arrests since unrest broke out following the mass stabbing at a ‘Taylor Swift’ children’s dance party by an alleged second-generation Rwandan migrant on July 29th.
The NPCC said that hundreds more suspects have been identified in connection to the riots, meaning that the arrest figure is likely to continue to rise in the coming days. So far, police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have brought forward 575 charges.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for public order said: “Forces have been united across the country, determined to send a clear message to those involved in the physical destruction of our streets, sustained violence against officers and spread of online hate.
“I am pleased we have now made more than 1000 arrests and almost 600 charges. We expect these figures to continue rising in the coming weeks as investigations continue and our communities begin to recover.
“While the situation seems to have stabilised over the last few days, I know it will leave an imprint on our communities and on our officers for years to come and I’d like to thank them once again for their continued support.”
Although many of the arrests came as a result of violent disorder, with rioters clashing with police, setting fires and destroying property, the NPCC also said that it has placed a focus on “those responsible for spreading and inciting hate online – and bring them to justice.”
Kris Venkatasami, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South East and National Protest Lead, said: “Our close joint working with police forces across the country has allowed us to respond quickly to violent unrest to maintain public order and see swift justice served – and we will continue to make sure that those causing disruption in our communities, and inciting violence and hate online, face the consequences of their actions.”
Amid the height of the riots, new left-wing Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to tackle the “thuggery” of the “far-right” on the streets and online. Meanwhile, his government rolled out an Orwellian campaign warning the British public to “think before you post,” saying that people will face consequences for “inciting hatred” or committing the seemingly contradictory offence of “online violence.”
The draconian crackdown on social media posts amid the unrest comes despite Starmer previously warning, when he served as the head of prosecutions for the CPS in 2013, that charging too many people for social media posts would have a “chilling effect” on free speech.
Yet, Mr Starmer has recently favoured more restrictions on speech, including backing the government officially instituting a formal definition of “Islamophobia” which critics have warned will effectively serve as a new blasphemy law in Britain.