The United Kingdom grappled with a wave of violent protests and riots sparked by far-right demonstrations in late July and early August 2024.
These disturbances, which stemmed from misinformation, raised serious concerns about safety for both residents and visitors to the country, even as popular summer spots like Manchester and Liverpool experienced violent disorders.
Some countries have also issued travel warnings to their citizens going to or living in the UK in the heat of the demonstrations. The riots have further prompted discussions on the broader impact of immigration on the UK economy.
While the demonstrations have been quelled majorly after anti-racism protesters hit the streets in a display of unity with migrants and Muslims, the British police are still on alert to prevent further occurrences.
What Led to the Riots?
On July 29, in the seaside town of Southport, three young girls aged between 6 and 9 were stabbed to death during a Taylor Swift dance class. The attack also left eight other children and two adults injured.
Within hours of the stabbing, false reports were made on social media linking the attack to a Muslim immigrant. The post alleged that the attacker had come to the UK illegally by boat and was on the watch list related to security and mental health.
This made-up story spread at an alarming rate online and triggered agitations against immigrants among far-right personalities. It later emerged that many of the reported details were inaccurate, revealing that the assailant was a teenager born in Britain to Rwandan migrants and was not Muslim. However, tensions had already been ignited.
Throughout the weekend, crowds of violent rioters congregated in different cities across the UK, chanting racist, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim slogans. They attacked a mosque, burnt a library, set fire to a police station, smashed and looted local businesses, set a van on fire, and clashed with police.
Some protesters set fire to two Holiday Inn housing asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their claims, leaving those inside trapped and terrified. This was by far the worst violence the UK has seen in more than a decade. Britain hasn’t seen social unrest of this scale since the 2011 riots in London sparked by the fatal police shooting of a black man in the nation’s capital.
Is the UK Safe for Travellers at this Time?
The UK protests have sparked fears about the security among travellers and immigrants.
Some countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates, have since issued travel and safety warnings to citizens living in or visiting the UK.
In the travel alert issued by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they warned that “there is an increased risk of violence and disorder” due to large and unruly demonstrations by the far right. They warned its citizens to avoid crowded areas, large gatherings, political processions, and rallies.
The High Commission of India in London warned visitors coming from India “to stay vigilant and exercise caution during their travels.” At the same time, Malaysia has told its citizens not to travel to the UK.
In a travel advisory issued to its nationals, the Australian government warned them to “avoid areas where protests are occurring due to the potential for disruption and violence” and to “monitor the media for information and updates”.
UAE citizens in the UK were warned by their foreign ministry to exercise the highest level of caution and avoid crowded areas “in light of the unstable security situation in various cities across the UK.”
The HK government’s Security Bureau issued a warning saying that Hong Kong residents “who intend to visit the country or are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety, avoid large gatherings of people and pay attention to local announcements.”
While it’s unlikely that these protests will completely halt travel in and out of the UK, the travel and safety warnings are timely and could help intending summer visitors evaluate their travel plans.
Some popular tourist locations, such as Liverpool and Manchester, have already seen several demonstrations and violent disorders in the last week. Meanwhile, London, the top tourist hub in the UK, hasn’t seen a lot of disturbances.
When asked about the potential impact of the riots on tourism to the UK this summer, a spokesperson from the British Tourist Authority, which operates under the brand names VisitBritain and VisitEngland, told CNBC news via email that “Demand for travel to Britain remains strong, and we continue to welcome many millions of visitors from all over the world.”
The spokesperson further mentioned that the team are monitoring the situation closely to ensure that international travel trade partners have the latest information available, as necessary.
What We Know at this Moment
After days of violent anti-immigrant riots, thousands of peaceful anti-racist counter-protesters took to the streets across England in support of immigrants and ethnic minorities targeted in the riots. They far outnumbered the far-right agitators with signs that read “Refugees Welcome” and “Reject Racism, Try Therapy.”
Stand Up to Racism estimated that 25,000 people participated in these anti-racist and anti-immigration demonstrations in different cities, including Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, and Brighton.
In addition, police forces nationwide braced for over 100 far-right demonstrations, deploying nearly 4,000 public order officers, with an additional 2,000 on standby. As a result, threats of gatherings by far-right groups appeared more subdued.
Furthermore, the UK authorities have issued warnings to the rioters. Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the counter-terrorism chief, noted that some riots might be classified as acts of terrorism.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was the chief prosecutor of England and Wales during the last major civil unrest in 2011 and prosecuted thousands of people then, has stated this time that those “causing violent disorders on our streets will feel the full force of the law – and today, we are already seeing justice being served.”
So far, over 400 people have been arrested nationwide, with over 100 already charged. Several rioters involved in the violent unrest have received lengthy prison terms, as cases are being fast-tracked through the justice system.
One man was sentenced to three years for violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker in Southport. Three men were jailed for up to three years after admitting to violent disorders in Liverpool. Another individual received a 30-month sentence for violent disorder and a previous communication offence.
London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Mark Rowley, revealed that many arrested have prior criminal convictions.
Many affected communities have come together to organise clean-ups in the aftermath of the destruction. Some locals have distanced themselves from the rioters, insisting they do not represent their community values.
“The show of force from the police and, frankly, the show of unity from communities together defeated the challenges that we faced,” said Commissioner Rowley, “It went off very peacefully last night, and the fears of extreme right disorder were abated.”
The British police are still on the streets this week to prevent a repeat of the violent disturbances. We’ll keep watching to see what happens next as the situation unfolds.