Relief after UK streets see respite from far-right riots

LONDON: The UK government and police breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after further anticipated far-right riots failed to materialise overnight and thousands of anti-racism protesters massed on the streets instead.

The anti-racism demonstrations on Wednesday evening passed off almost entirely peacefully, after police flooded the streets of numerous English towns and cities and reiterated violence by suspected far-right agitators would not be tolerated.

It follows a week of near nightly riots — during which mosques and migrant-related facilities have been attacked — nationwide and in Northern Ireland.

The violence was fuelled by misinformation spread on social media about the suspected perpetrator of a knife attack on July 29 which killed three children.