Sunderland Central Police Office has been set ablaze amid escalating unrest in the city center. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are on the scene battling the flames. This development follows earlier reports of an overturned car being set on fire by rioters.
Northumbria Police have warned the public to avoid Sunderland city center due to “ongoing disorder.” Officers have been subjected to “serious violence,” including attacks with stones, beer cans, and fire extinguishers. Mounted police are following marches, with officers in vans struggling through traffic to keep up.
Key developments:
1. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Sunderland’s Keel Square, some draped in England flags.
2. Rioters attacked police with beer barrels and stones, chanting “whose streets? Our streets.”
3. Video footage appears to show masked individuals setting fire to an overturned car.
4. Protesters were seen carrying banners reading “stop mass migration, save British youth.”
In Liverpool, a small scuffle broke out between protesters and counter-protesters outside a mosque. Police intervened to separate the groups. Counter-protesters chanted “Nazi scum, off our streets” and “Refugees are welcome here.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness condemned the events, stating, “Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police and damage property you stand for nothing except thuggery.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that rioters will “pay the price for their violence and thuggery,” emphasizing that the police have the government’s full backing to take strong action.
The unrest appears to be linked to far-right groups, with some protesters chanting in support of Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League. Faith leaders have expressed concern about the planned far-right protests, with Qari Asim, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, stating that the British Muslim community is “anxious” about the situation.
As the situation continues to develop, authorities are urging calm and warning the public to stay away from affected areas. The events have sparked debates about community relations, immigration, and the rise of far-right sentiments in the UK.
