Man arrested over viral video of UK Muslim couple chased with hedge trimmer

A man has been arrested in England after a video went viral of a Muslim couple being chased by a man wielding a hedge trimmer, which many initially thought was a chainsaw.

The video, filmed from inside the couple's car, shows a man carrying the garden tool running after the car as they drive away.

On X, Greater Manchester Police revealed a man was arrested on Tuesday night on "suspicion of affray". The police also confirmed he remains in custody.

While many social media users believed the man to be a "far-right thug", British online newspaper The Independent learned the assault is not currently being investigated as a hate crime.

The incident comes as the UK is facing widespread far-right riots following the murder of three girls in Southport on 29 July.

False allegations spread online that the suspect was a Muslim man and an asylum seeker, which have now been confirmed to be untrue.

But this has not stopped rioters from attacking mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and Tamworth.

Hours after the attack, the right-wing politician Nigel Farage took to social media, questioning why the Southport stabbing was not being treated as terror-related and asked whether the suspect was known to the police.

Farage said he listened to the likes of Andrew Tate, who claimed the assailant crossed the channel on a boat in 2016.

Meanwhile, anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, posted footage of the riots, claiming they were a result of "legitimate concerns" surrounding immigration and calling for "mass deportations".

Over 400 rioters have been arrested and over 100 charged, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning anyone involved in the riots will  face "the full force of the law", including those inciting violence online.

British police are bracing for the possibility of over 100 far-right riots and 30 counter protests across the country on Wednesday evening.