UK riots latest: Dawn raids launched on riot suspects - as warning more 'events' planned (2024)

An immigration lawyer has told Sky News he received a death threat from an unknown number earlier this week.

Qays Sediqi said the caller told him he is "what's wrong with this country", that they know where he works, and will "come to get me and kill me".

Despite the scare, he said he feels fortunate he is not named on any list shared among far-right supporters.

Meanwhile, Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said the publication of immigration law firms as potential targets for disorder before planned protests last night could be considered a terrorism offence.

Mr Parkinson added: "The fact it's organised groups that might be motivated by ideological reasons, the fact they're promoting potentially very serious offences - that's the sort of instance where we might want to consider terrorism charges."

Police forces have released CCTV images in an appeal to identify people in connection with the far-right violence over the past week.

Merseyside Police issued pictures of 14 people, while South Yorkshire police have published 21 pictures in connection with violent disorder outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham on Sunday. The hotel has been housing asylum seekers.

Detective Superintendent Paul Speight of Merseyside Police said: "It is vital that these people make themselves known as soon as possible, as we think they can assist our ongoing investigations.

"We are still working our way through information, images and footage as it comes in, and we'll continue to take action to arrest, charge and put before the courts anyone identified."

You can see all 35 images in the story below:

While Met police chief Sir Mark Rowley praised last night as a success, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson says she is feeling "cautious".

"It's good that we didn't see the level of disorder and criminality on our streets that we have in previous days," she told Sky News, "but obviously this is just the start."

"There is now further intelligence of events during the next few days, and we need to see what happens there."

On last night's counter-demonstrations, she told the BBC they were "on the whole peaceful" and showed that the majority of people in the UK are "tolerant" and "respect the police".

"I think this country has a tradition, doesn't it, of peaceful protests and I think last night was an example of that."

A show of force and a show of unity won out last night, the head of the Met Police has said.

Fears of extreme riots were abated by police and communities, as counter-protests took place "very peacefully", Sir Mark Rowley said.

"Dawn raids" were carried out this morning to arrest suspected violent offenders from recent days, he added.

On yesterday's operation, Sir Mark said: "I'm really pleased with how it went. We put thousands of officers on the street and I think the show of force from the police and, frankly, the show of unity from communities together defeated the challenges that we've seen."

Police continue to work through footage and evidence gathered over the last week of riots and will be sweeping up offenders over the next 24 hours, he said.

"These are criminal thugs, any suggestion that they are patriots or have got a cause that they are protesting about is nonsense.

"They are criminals and frankly most of them will be charged with violent disorder and most are going to go to prison for a few years."

About 70% of the most violent offenders have criminal backgrounds, he said.

Rioters who have admitted violent disorder in the past week are due to be sentenced today.

Home affairs reporter Henry Vaughan will be reporting from Liverpool Crown Court, with more cases concluding at Plymouth Crown Court.

Other suspects are appearing in court to face charges, including at Hull Magistrates' Court.

Police have made more than 400 arrests over riots fuelled by the killing of three girls in a stabbing attack in Southport last Monday, and are considering using counter-terrorism laws to prosecute some rioters.

The government has pledged to prosecute those responsible for the disorder, including those who use social media to incite the violence.

Police had prepared for the biggest night of violence since the Southport attacks last night, with far-right protests planned at 100 locations after a week of rioting and disorder.

Many businesses had boarded up windows and closed down in fear of what lay ahead.

Stand Up To Racism and other groups had planned counter-protests in response - and in most places they reclaimed their streets with nothing to oppose.

A crowd of immigrant supporters that quickly grew to several hundred in the London neighbourhood of North Finchley found themselves largely alone with several dozen police officers.

The crowd chanted "refugees welcome" and "London against racism".

Some held signs saying "Stop the far right," "Migration is not a crime" and "Finchley against Fascism".

At one point, a man who had been shouting at the group and pulling his shirt up to show off an eagle tattoo was punched by a protester.

Outside an immigration centre in the Walthamstow area in east London, an anti-racism protest leader shouted "fascist scum" to which a crowd of hundreds responded: "Off our streets."

In Liverpool, hundreds showed up to defend the Asylum Link immigration centre.

A grandmother held a placard reading "Nans Against Nazis" and someone else held a sign saying: "When the poor blame the poor only the rich win."

In Birmingham, several hundred anti-racism protesters - some carrying signs such as "no place for hate" and "bigots out of Brum" - gathered outside a migrant centre in the Jewellery Quarter.

A large group then marched into the centre of the city, with no signs of any far-right groups in the area.

Several thousand also turned out in Bristol, said our correspondent Dan Whitehead - it was a calm and relaxed atmosphere with some people playing music.

Crime correspondent Martin Brunt said there were reports of "small pockets" of far-right protesters in places such as Portsmouth, Brighton and Blackpool.

But worries it could be the biggest night of trouble so far faded away.

Earlier intelligence suggesting 100 far-right protests had been "credible", he said, adding that police would now be analysing how they managed to avoid that "nightmare" scenario.

Welcome back to our live coverage of unrest in the UK, after far-right rallies largely failed to materialise last night.

Instead, police were met with thousands of peaceful anti-racist counter-protesters.

In London, Bristol, Oxford, Liverpool and Birmingham, large crowds gathered outside agencies and law firms specialising in immigration that had been listed by internet chat groups as possible targets of far-right activity.

In resounding choruses they chanted: "Whose streets? Our streets!" subverting a typically far-right refrain.

In addition to thousands of officers already deployed, about 1,300 specialist forces were on standby in case of serious trouble in London.

But with the exception of scattered disturbances and some arrests, riots did not erupt.

Before we resume our live coverage, here is a quick recap of some of the other key moments that occurred over the last day.

• There were more arrests in relation to the far-right violence, as well as some anti-social behaviour in Croydon, south London;
  
• A rioter who punched a police officer in face was jailed for three years;
  
• One case of alleged terrorism was "actively under consideration", director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has said;

That's all our coverage on this story for now - we'll be back tomorrow with all the latest updates.

Before we go, here's a reminder of the key events from the past 24 hours:

• Thousands of counter-protesters have taken to the streets across England in response to days of unrest from far-right rioters;
• The 100 far-right demonstrations that police were bracing for largely failed to materialise;
• There have been more arrests this evening in relation to the far-right violence, as well as some anti-social behaviour in Croydon, south London;
• More of the rioters were convicted earlier today, including one man who punched a police officer in the face, who was jailed for three years;
• One case is actively being investigated as terrorism, the director of public prosecutions revealed.

Tonight's counter demonstrations have made the front page of several of the newspapers' Thursday editions, after several days of coverage of the far-right riots.

Here is a selection.

The i reported that rioters involved in the unrest in recent days may face being banned from attending football matches.

Meanwhile, Metro reports that supporters of Vladimir Putin have infiltrated the online chat groups being used to organise the far-right gatherings.

More from the Met Police this evening.

The force said they made 15 arrests around the capital - 10 in Croydon, four in Waltham Forest and one in Hounslow.

The anti-racist protests in Walthamstow and Finchley "passed without major incident", the Met said, but they faced "anti-social behaviour from a small group in Croydon who were not related to any protest, but were intent on causing trouble".

In Croydon, four people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the dispersal order, four more on suspicion of violent disorder, one on suspicion of an assault on an emergency worker, and one on suspicion for going equipped for arson.

In Waltham Forest, two were arrested on suspicion of having an offensive weapon - which police said was a lock knife and golf club - one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, and one on suspicion of obstructing a stop and search.

The arrest in Hounslow was in relation to possession of an offensive weapon.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said: "This evening more than 1,000 officers were deployed in London ready to respond to events planned across the city. They were ready to protect our communities from hateful, divisive and violent behaviour.

"Our top priority has been to keep our communities safe, prevent significant disorder and swiftly deal with any offenders. A number of arrests were made across the city this evening.

"I want to thank our communities for coming together across the capital and for showing community spirit this evening," he added.

"I would also like to thank the committed officers who have been working hard to police London today, serving their communities and keeping people safe."