LONDON: British Muslims voiced fear about far-right protests that have targeted UK mosques in recent days, as community leaders bolstered security at Islamic centers. UK police monitored several far-right protests and counter-demonstrations on Saturday after a third night of rioting linked to misinformation about a mass stabbing that killed three young girls sparked fears of more unrest.

The violence, which has seen scores of arrests across England, presents the biggest challenge yet of Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s month-old premiership. It has also put hard-right agitators linked to football hooliganism in the spotlight at a time when anti-immigration elements are enjoying some electoral success in British politics.

By early afternoon Saturday, demonstrations were underway in several UK cities, including Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Portsmouth and London, as well as Belfast in the province of Northern Ireland. There were no immediate reports of violence. Police are on high alert after 10 people were arrested and four officers required hospital treatment following a riot in the northeastern English city of Sunderland late on Friday.

Other images shared on social media showed balaclava-clad youths throwing bricks and other missiles as fireworks and flares were let off, while shops were also looted. "This was not a protest, this was unforgivable violence and disorder,” Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall told reporters.

The unrest followed two nights of disturbances in several English towns and cities in the wake of Monday’s frenzied knife attack in Southport, near Liverpool on England’s northwest coast. They were fueled by false rumors on social media about the background of British-born 17-year-old suspect Axel Rudakubana, charged with several counts of murder and attempted murder over the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party.

‘Thugs’

In Southport, the mob threw bricks at a mosque, prompting hundreds of Muslim places of worship across the country to step up security amid fears of more anti-Islamic demonstrations. Police blamed supporters of the disbanded English Defence League, an anti-Islam organization founded 15 years ago whose supporters have been linked to football hooliganism.

In Sunderland on Friday, protesters shouted Islamophobic chants, set a police station and two cars on fire and threw beer cans and bricks at police outside a mosque. "The Muslim community is deeply anxious right now, really distressed about what they’ve seen,” Zara Mohammed, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), told AFP on Friday.

Far-right social media channels have advertised "enough is enough” anti-immigrant rallies, while anti-fascism groups have vowed to stage counter-protests. In Belfast, a small group gathered in the city center and chanted "Islam out”. In Hull, one group of demonstrators chanted "You’re not British any more,” while counter-protesters shouted "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” the BBC reported.

‘Solidarity’

Anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate has identified more than 30 events planned for Saturday and Sunday. On Thursday night, the MCB held a meeting with mosque leaders to discuss security ahead of the further threat of violence this weekend. One of the leaders present reported receiving "threatening calls saying ‘We are going to attack you’”, while others wondered whether they should go ahead with planned activities, such as children’s classes and women’s meetings, Mohammed said.

On Friday evening in Liverpool, near Southport, the Abdullah Quilliam mosque was able to count on the support of large numbers of local residents, not all Muslim, who turned up to protect the building after rumors circulated online about plans to target it. "I’m here in solidarity for another community who are my neighbors really. These are all people who live in my streets. These are people who live in my city,” Daniel, who did not give his surname, told AFP.

At the end of Friday prayers at the London Central Mosque, many worshippers interviewed by AFP said they were worried about the anti-Islamic violence of the last few days. "Before it was hidden but now people dare to say what they really think and it is very frightening,” said Hishem Betts, a 24-year-old student. Imran Mahmood, a 52-year-old computer programmer, voiced alarm that social media rumours may have encouraged some people to direct their ire at mosques. "Instead of looking at the facts, they started blaming Muslims. It is brainwashing,” he said.

‘Emboldened’

"It is just really shocking to see how coordinated and planned this is, how quickly a disinformation fake news campaign has resulted in this,” the MCB’s Mohammed said of the Islamophobic protests. But it "hasn’t come out of a vacuum”, she added, pointing to "a strain of anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiment” in the country, including from political leaders. "This is not something new but the scale is becoming wider,” said Iman Atta of the Tell Mama project, which records incidents of Islamophobia. She said that "language” used around migration helps "drive those who are extreme to actually become more emboldened to come out”. — AFP