UK government to hold emergency meeting over far-right Islamophobic riots as dozens are arrested

The UK government is set to hold an emergency COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Room A) meeting today after a weekend of violent far-right riots and attacks on People of Colour across the country, which follows misinformation about the identity of an alleged child killer in Stockport last week.

The emergency meeting will see ministers, civil servants, police and intelligence officers discuss emergency response plans to the riots that have swept across the country and saw mobs break into businesses and mosques with scores arrested.

The ministers and police will discuss how to respond to the riots in the coming days with fears they could spread to other towns and cities.

Three petrol bombs were thrown at a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth on Sunday night, with an officer suffering from a suspected broken arm.

More officers have also been drafted into the area to help deal with the mobs, as they smashed the windows of two hotels housing asylum seekers.

The rioters took part in Islamophobic chants in Newcastle-under-Lyme, while similar riots took place in Bolton, Southport and Middlesbrough.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said rioters would "regret" taking part in "far-right thuggery", vowing that they would face "full force of the law" in an address to the nation.

According to various reports, ministers have suggested that courts could also be fast-tracking prosecutions as police arrested at least 116 people this weekend.

The Home Office has also promised mosques would be given greater protection under a new "rapid response process" as they continue to be targeted.

Mounting criticism 

Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana criticised the response to the riots, writing "what will it take for political leaders to explicitly call out the Islamophobic and racist nature of violence we are witnessing across the country", on X.

Many have hit out at the framing of the violence in UK media, which have labelled the riots as "pro-British" and "anti-immigrant" groups.

"Is he for real, this is how pro British is identified? All I saw was a a large group of thugs attacking our police, throwing anything they could get their hands on and spreading hatred and fear. He needs to tell us which part of that was pro-British," one social media user wrote in response to a BBC live report where the journalist described the pogroms as a "pro-British" protest.

Social media platform X has come under increased scrutiny in recent days as many have accused far-right individuals and public figures of peddling misinformation and fuelling the riots.

Businessman Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, responded to videos of the riots claiming "civil war is inevitable", leading to widespread criticism, while digital humanities expert Marc Owen Jones said "X has been weaponised to spread rumours and hate speech, particularly targeting minorities and Muslims".

Since the outbreak of the riots, Malaysia has issued a travel warning to its citizens in the UK in a statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said it is "closely monitoring the series of riots currently taking place in several areas of the UK". It also urged them to register their presence with the country’s High Commission in London.

The UAE embassy in the UK issued a safety advisory for Emirati citizens, telling them to exercise caution and avoid crowded areas.

The wave of violent riots comes after British-born, UK citizen 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana allegedly stabbed three girls and wounded several others as false information about him was shared online, suggesting he was a Muslim or an immigrant who travelled to the country irregularly.