The United Kingdom mobilizes 6,000 specialized agents in the face of the possibility of new riots spurred by far-right groups. The British Government asks Elon Musk for responsibility, after the tycoon said in X that “civil war is inevitable.”
The British police prepares for another night of violence amid concerns that extreme right groups They plan to attack this Wednesday up to thirty places throughout the United Kingdom, after a week of riots and disorder.
The authorities are mobilizing about 6,000 specially trained agents to respond to unrest across the UK, with London’s Metropolitan Police Service saying it would do “everything in our power” to protect the capital.
“We are aware of events planned by hate and divisive groups across the capital,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of London’s Metropolitan Police on Tuesday night. “They have made their intention to cause unrest and division very clear. We will not tolerate this in our streets.”
Violence has rocked cities and towns across the UK over the past week. Groups of angry protesters, incited by far-right extremistshave clashed with the Police and counter-protesters, spurred by the spread of false information about the identity of the suspect in a Knife attack that killed three girls in the seaside town of Southport. The suspect was falsely identified as an immigrant and a Muslim.
Rioters, who have shouted anti-immigrant slogans, have attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. The first Minister Keir Starmer held a second consecutive meeting of the COBRA emergency response committee of the Government to coordinate the response to the crisis, which he has described as “extreme right-wing thuggery”. The Police have already carried out more than 400 arrests nationwide and the Government has committed to prosecute and imprison those responsible for the riots.
The Government asks Elon Musk for responsibility
The British Government has asked Elon Musk to act responsibly after the billionaire used his social network, Xto launch a series of publications which, according to the authorities, could aggravate violent unrest that affect the country.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made those comments Tuesday after Musk posted a comment saying that “civil war is inevitable” in the United Kingdom. Musk then doubled down, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists, and comparing the United Kingdom’s crackdown on Internet users social networks with that of the Soviet Union.
“The use of language like ‘civil war’ is not acceptable in any way,” Alexander said in statements to ‘Times Radio’ quoted by the ‘AP’ agency. “We’re seeing police officers seriously injured, buildings on fire, and that’s why I really think that everyone who has a platform should exercise your power responsibly“.