UK riots latest: Belfast city centre at 'complete standstill' as 'significant policing operation' under way (2024)

A demonstration is set to take place in Newcastle city centre tomorrow, Northumbria Police has said.

Chief Superintendent Steve Wykes said in a statement that the force is using its powers to try and move the mid-morning protest to a different location.

It's currently set to be held in the Monument area of the city, he said.

"There are going to be a huge number of officers out on patrol in support of thisoperation and across the force. Everyone in Northumbria Police who is deployableand has a uniform is out supporting you in the community," he said.

Ch Supt Wykes also warned of a "huge amount of information circulating on social media that isn't true" and urged users to make sure they are getting information from a "trusted source".

A man seen with a knife near a vigil for the victims of the Southport attack has been jailed for two years and four months.

Jordan Davies, 32, who is from the town, claimed he was there for a "peaceful protest" after he was spotted with the weapon and wearing a balaclava by members of the public.

But on sentencing him, judge Denis Watson said he was travelling to join a "mob" who were looking to "stir up trouble".

Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, told the court Davies was seen at around 6.45pm a short distance from the vigil on 30 July.

He said one witness recalled seeing people running away screaming and hearing a woman shout: "He's got a knife."

Another witness said she saw Davies approach a group of males with the blade before flicking it back.

Davies claimed in an interview with police that his daughter had been stabbed and he'd picked up a bag containing the knife, with plans to hand it to an amnesty bin. Judge Watson rejected his claim as "untrue".

He admitted possession of a knife in a public place and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today.

A huge crowd have gathered for an anti-racism protest outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers in Crawley.

Our news correspondentMollie Malone says around 300 to 400 people have attended the protest and are waving their hands and cheering in support.

"There is someone waving outside of the hotel," she says.

Placards being held up bear slogans such as "refugees are welcome here" and "stop the far right", she says.

The crowd has been met with a maximum of "three or four" counter-protesters, Mollie adds.

She says two were earlier led away by police (we've more on this in our 18.14 post).

"There is a fairly significant policing presence here. I spotted five or six police vans. It's very much under control at the moment, and I think the police would like to think that that will be the situation across the country, at least today, going into the weekend," Mollie says.

The past two weeks have been a "time of anguish and anxiety" for Muslim communities across the UK, a senior Muslim leader has said.

Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the level of violence seen has "terrified communities".

"There is a chilling effect," she added.

Ms Mohammed said despite unrest appearing to ease in the past couple of days, people are "not sure if it's really ending yet".

"Communities have shared to me their apprehension, fear of going out and also just wanting it really to end now, but not knowing if it will," she tells Sky News.

She said while the violence doesn't represent the majority of people living in the country, "it is striking and so harmful".

"Whilst there was a big sigh of relief, we are still very apprehensive to see what's coming and we're praying that it ends," she said.

By David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent in Belfast

Belfast centre has been brought to a standstill by counter demonstrations.

Anti-racism protesters outnumbered anti-immigration protestors by an estimated 10 to one.

Police officers in riot gear maintained a no-man's-land between the two.

The smaller group held placards stating they would "not become second class citizens" in their own country.

The few who were willing to talk insisted they were "not far right or fascist".

The other side waved flags with the words "refugees welcome" on them and were much more vocal, chanting "there are many, many more of us than you".

Hundreds of people have gathered in Belfast city centre for an anti-racism protest which has heavily outnumbered a small anti-immigration demonstration.

There's a heavy police presence at the scene near Belfast City Hall and barriers have been erected to keep the two protests apart.

At the anti-immigration protest, demonstrators are holding signs bearing slogans such as "Shankill Road says no to illegal immigration" and chanted "send them home".

Meanwhile, at the larger protest, trade union banners and signs with anti-racism messages are being held aloft.

Both far-right protesters and anti-racism demonstrators have turned out in Crawley, West Sussex, today.

The far right is considerably outnumbered, and footage taken by Sky News shows one man draped in union flags standing behind a line of police.

Other footage shows two far-right protesters surrounded by police being led away.

The protest is understood to have been organised close to a hostel used to house asylum seekers.

Police forces across the UK are "better prepared than last weekend" to deal with any further unrest, the head of a policing body has said.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens told reporters today that leaders have had "days to plan and gear up" their response.

"We spoke about the scale of the national mobilisation, and that being as big as it's ever been, so [we're] definitely better prepared than last weekend," he said.

"I think we also feel that the activity that's happened during the course of the week - in bringing really swift and strong justice - has helped."

He reiterated the "strong message" sent by communities on Wednesday when anti-racism protesters took to the streets and widespread far-right demonstrations failed to materialise.

"I think the mood is different as a consequence of all that," he said.

A suspended Labour councillor has been remanded in custody after being charged with encouraging violent disorder.

Ricky Jones, 57, was filmed addressing a crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday evening, during which he "appeared to make remarks and a gesture to encourage others to act violently towards far-right protestors", the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today wearing a Hugo Boss t-shirt. He entered no plea.

Deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: "It is alleged that using a microphone you addressed a crowd at an anti-fascist protest and, talking about others you described as 'disgusting Nazi fascists', you said 'we need to cut their throats and get rid of them'."

He was remanded in custody and will next appear at Inner London Crown Court on 6 September.

Hundreds of people have gathered for an anti-racism protest which has brought Belfast city centre to "a complete standstill", our senior Ireland correspondent David Blevins reports.

The demonstration has required a "significant policing operation" with an anti-immigration protest also taking place.

Blevins estimates around 500 people are taking part in the Say No To Racism protest, with anti-immigration protesters significantly outnumbered.

It comes after a fifth night of unrest in Belfast, with the police service (PSNI) receiving reports of criminal damage, including a car being set on fire and a house window being broken.

Armoured police vehicles are "in no mans' land trying to keep the peace" between the two protests, Blevins says.

He adds that those who are opposed to racism are "making their presence felt and their voices heard loudest" at the moment.