British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet senior police chiefs on Thursday, his office said, after a second night of clashes between protesters and police. They were triggered by the death of three young girls after a knife attack in Southport, quoted by News.bg.
On Wednesday night, thousands of anti-immigration protesters gathered near Starmer's Downing Street office and residence, chanting "Save our children" and "We want our country back".
The night before, more than 50 police officers were injured in violent clashes in the English seaside town of Southport, where Monday's stabbing took place.
A 17-year-old man has been arrested by police on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after riots broke out in Southport following a knife attack at a children's summer dance and yoga club. The attack resulted in the death of three girls, and five more children were seriously injured and hospitalized. Two more adults from the study hall, who tried to resist the attacker and save the children, were also hospitalized.
Starmer's office said he would use Thursday's meeting with police to offer them the government's full support following a series of high-profile incidents of extreme violence and public disorder on the streets.
"While the right to peaceful protest must be protected at all costs, he will be clear that criminals who take advantage of this right to sow hatred and commit violent acts will face the full rigors of the law," his office added.
The unrest broke out after false information was spread on social media that the suspect was a radical Islamist migrant.
Police have legal restrictions on the details they can release about the alleged teenage attacker, but they said the incident was not terrorism-related and that he was born in Britain, dismissing speculation about his origins.