Sir Keir Starmer has said he expects the sentencing of many far-right rioters convicted after widespread unrest in the last few days to take place by the end of the week – as police prepare for 30 more gatherings due to take place on Wednesday evening.
Although officers in Liverpool and Durham issued dispersal orders to head off potential unrest, Tuesday night was free of the violent scenes that have played out across the UK since the initial disturbances in Southport a week earlier.
But officers are monitoring threats of further rioting against immigration law specialists, some of which had either closed or accepted offers of additional police protection.
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Police fail to stop armed counter-protesters
A list of solicitors’ firms and advice agencies has been shared in chat groups as possible targets for gatherings, with the message inviting people to “mask up” if they attend.
The Law Society of England and Wales described such gatherings as a “direct assault on our legal profession”, while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said threats against solicitors were “unacceptable” and those making them would “join the hundreds of others who have already been arrested by police within the last week”.
Approximately 6,000 specialist officers will be at the ready by the end of the week for the so-called “standing army” of police announced by Sir Keir on Monday. These officers have been taken away from their regular duties to deal with ongoing disorder.
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Dozens appear in court
In addition to more riot police being put on standby, forces are also stepping up neighbourhood policing patrols, teams of detectives are drawing on CCTV, body-worn footage and making use of retrospective facial recognition to identify perpetrators of violence, and intelligence teams are monitoring well-known influencers and organisers for activity.
More than 400 people have been arrested in connection to the riots, and charges continued to be brought on Tuesday night with defendants expected in court on Wednesday.
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The violence was sparked by false claims about the identity of the teenager suspected of killing three young girls and injuring several others in a knife attack in Southport on 29 July, and has seen shops looted and hotels housing asylum seekers attacked.
Speaking to reporters after chairing his second COBRA meeting in two days, the prime minister said: “That should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online, that you are likely to be dealt with within a week.
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How a week of unrest unfolded
“Nobody, but nobody, should be involved themselves in this disorder.”
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But the prime minister has faced the accusation of “two-tier policing” – the belief that the far-right is being treated more harshly than other groups.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X, has been one of Sir Keir’s loudest critics, and the South African tech mogul has used his website to publish incendiary posts.