Starmer condemns ‘thugs’ involved in far-right riots and launches new violent disorder unit – statement in full

The Prime Minister has condemned the “actions of a tiny, mindless minority in our society” and announced the creation of a new violent disorder unit following several far-right riots.

Dozens of arrests following a knife attack in Southport have been made across the country after unrest broke out in Hartlepool, Whitehall and in Southport itself.

In a press conference, Keir Starmer criticised the riots driven by “far-right hatred” and vowed not to let “understandable fear to curdle into division and hate in our communities”.

He said: “The community of Southport had to suffer twice. A gang of thugs got on trains and buses, went to a community which is not their own – a community grieving the most horrific tragedy, and proceeded to throw bricks at police officers who had just 24 hours earlier had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community.

“Make no mistake – whether it is in Southport, London or Hartlepool, these people are showing our country exactly who they are. 

“I will not permit a breakdown of law and order on our streets. It’s not protest, it’s not legitimate, it’s crime – violent disorder.”

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Following a meeting with senior police and law enforcement officers, Starmer announced a new unit to tackle such unrest, including the wider deployment of facial recognition technology, shared intelligence across police forces and preventative criminal behaviour orders to prevent the movement of those causing unrest.

The Prime Minister also took aim at social media companies and said the law “must be upheld everywhere”.

“Violent disorder, clearly whipped up online, is also a crime – it’s happening on your premises. We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe,” he said.

The Prime Minister also told the Muslim community he would “take every step that’s necessary” to keep them safe.

Prime Minister Starmer’s statement in full

This week – we are a nation in shock.  A country coming to terms with an attack so inexplicably vile. That fear is an understandable reaction.

Our first thoughts of course are with the families at the heart of this.  Their pain is unimaginable. And so I call on everyone to give them and indeed the wider community at Southport the space to grieve, and time for the authorities in Merseyside to do their job.

There will be a time for questions, and we will make sure that the victims and families in Southport are at the heart of that process. That’s the very least that we owe these families.

But we also owe them justice. So while there’s a prosecution that must not be prejudiced, for them to receive the justice that they deserve, the time for answering those questions is not now.

I remind everyone that the price for a trial that is prejudiced is ultimately paid by the victims and their families, who are deprived of the justice that they deserve.

Let me turn now to the actions of a tiny, mindless minority in our society. Because in the aftermath of this attack, the community of Southport had to suffer twice. A gang of thugs, got on trains and buses, went to a community that is not their own – a community grieving the most horrific tragedy – and then proceeded to throw bricks at police officers, who just 24 hours earlier had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community.

Make no mistake – whether it’s in Southport, London – or Hartlepool, these people are showing our country exactly who they are. Mosques targeted because they are Mosques. Flares thrown at the statue of Winston Churchill. A Nazi salute at the Cenotaph.

I’ve just held a meeting with senior police and law enforcement leaders, where we’ve resolved to show who we are. A country – that will not allow understandable fear to curdle into division and hate in our communities, and that will not permit, under any circumstances a breakdown in law and order on our streets.

Because let’s be very clear about this. It’s not protest. It’s not legitimate. It’s crime. Violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice.

And so on behalf of the British people, who expect their values and their security to be upheld, we will put a stop to it.

I want to thank all of the police officers, across the country,  who have already, as they so often do, stood up to intimidation and violence in the past few days, and indeed, throughout the summer.

And let me be clear – the meeting this afternoon was not about pointing the finger of blame – that is not how this Government of Service conducts its business, because it doesn’t work. Rather – this was a meeting to pull together our response – a response both to the immediate challenge which is clearly driven by far-right hatred,  but also – all violent disorder that flares up.

Whatever the apparent cause or motivation – we make no distinction. Crime is crime. And so – to that end, I can announce today, that following this meeting, we will establish a national capability, across police forces to tackle violent disorder.

These thugs are mobile, they move from community to community, and we must have a policing response that can do the same. Shared intelligence,  wider deployment of facial recognition technology, and preventive action – criminal behaviour orders to restrict their movements before they can even board a train – in just the same way we do with football hooligans.

And let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them. Violent disorder clearly whipped up online, that is also a crime. It’s happening on your premises. And the law must be upheld everywhere.

That is the single most important duty of Government. Service rests on security. And we will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe.

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