Photos | SAR Govt reminds HK people in UK to pay attention to safety as riot continues

According to foreign media, on the evening of Aug. 5 local time, anti-immigrant protests and riots spread to Plymouth in southwestern England. Protesters threw bricks and fireworks at police, and 6 people were arrested. In Birmingham, central England, people who were dissatisfied with the recent riots also held protests. A Sky News reporter was chased by masked individuals and forced to interrupt the broadcast.

Prime Minister Starmer convened an emergency cabinet meeting on the 5th, during which all parties agreed to take multiple actions, including setting up a professional police rapid response team to ensure that the police can handle chaotic situations when necessary. The Prime Minister's Office spokesperson said that UK courts can extend their hours of operation as needed to ensure that riot participants are punished as soon as possible. According to UK media reports, the UK authorities plan to launch 24-hour courts to speed up the trial of arrested individuals.

PM Starmer vowed to punish protesters

On July 29, a knife attack occurred in Southport, northwest England, in which a 17-year-old male suspect stormed into a children's dance class, killing three girls. Far-right individuals spread rumors on social media that the suspect was a "radical Muslim immigrant" and incited offline protests. Far-right groups held anti-immigrant protests across the UK, which eventually escalated into large-scale riots, with many mosques and immigrant hotels being attacked. Stephens, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said that 378 riot participants have been arrested in the past week, and the number of arrested individuals will continue to rise as more perpetrators are identified.

The last time the UK experienced large-scale protests was in 2011, when a black man was shot and killed by police in London, triggering protests and riots across England, with over 3,000 people arrested. At the time, Starmer was the Director of Public Prosecutions. Now, as the Prime Minister, Starmer has taken a tough stance on the new round of riots. He emphasized that violent protesters targeting Muslim communities will face "full force of the law."

Ex-police chief Neil Basu said that the far-right protesters' attempt to set fire to immigrant hotels should be considered terrorism. Current Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said that one of the most notable features of the current riots is that many young people are participating, with the youngest being only 11 years old. He warned that young people who participate in riots may face lifelong consequences, including criminal records, employment restrictions, and travel bans, while adult protesters may face imprisonment.

The UK is currently facing a problem of overcrowded prisons, and the Ministry of Justice is preparing to add 500 new prison places to cope with the expected influx of prisoners next month. A youth offender institution in Kent will be converted into a prison and put into use next week.

Far-right leaders instigate violence online

The UK government condemned far-right individuals for inciting violence online. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle met with representatives of social media platforms such as X on Aug. 5, demanding that they block the spread of hate speech and violent incitement as soon as possible. The police said that supporters of the far-right group English Defense League (EDL) participated in the riots. Although the EDL has officially disbanded, many of its supporters remain active.

EDL co-founder and notorious far-right individual Tommy Robinson is facing contempt of court charges and fled the UK at the end of July. The Daily Mail revealed on Aug. 4 that he is currently staying at a five-star hotel in Cyprus, where he is sunbathing and instigating riots on social media.

Joe Mulhall, Director of Research at HOPE not hate, said that social media and other technologies have provided new ways for people to participate in radical activities outside of traditional organizational structures, making it more difficult to quell the riots.

The Guardian pointed out that the UK's recently passed new laws may help hold individuals like Robinson accountable. In January, the UK's Online Safety Bill amendment came into effect, allowing for the prosecution of individuals who intentionally spread false information or cause harm to others through related information.

HKSAR Government reminds Hong Kong people in the UK to pay attention to safety

In view of the recently ongoing protests and riots across the UK, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government reminds Hong Kong residents who are already there or intend to visit the UK to attend to personal safety.

A Government spokesman said, "The Government reminds Hong Kong residents that the Amber Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) issued against the UK is still in force. 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 on the latest situation."

The Security Bureau, in view of the recently ongoing protests and riots across the UK, has already updated the OTA webpage regarding supplementary information for the UK and will continue to closely monitor the situation there. Any update will be issued through the media, the Bureau's mobile app and the OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota).

Hong Kong residents in the UK who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department (ImmD) at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the Immigration Department Mobile Application, send a message to 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline or 1868 WeChat assistance hotline, submit the Online Assistance Request Form, or contact the Chinese Embassy in the UK at consular protection hotline: (44) 7536174993.

​Hong Kong residents are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) of the ImmD to register their contact details and itinerary when outside Hong Kong. The information provided allows the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means, including SMS on mobile phones, on a timely basis when necessary.

Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia and Nigeria have issued travel alerts for the situation in the UK, urging their nationals in the UK to stay safe and away from demonstrations.

Measures taken by the British Government in response to the riots

1. A "standing army" of professional police officers will be set up to strengthen the police force.

2. The court can extend its sitting time as necessary to ensure that those involved in the riots are brought to justice as soon as possible. According to the British media, the UK plans to activate 24-hour courts to speed up trials.

3. The UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, met with representatives of social media platforms, including X, and asked them to stop the spread of messages of racial hatred and incitement to violence as quickly as possible.

Demonstrator bitten by police dog cries in pain and pleads guilty

On Aug. 5, the first batch of defendants accused of taking part in the UK's anti-immigrant riots appeared in court.

The 28-year-old protester was charged with "violent public disorder" for taking part in a riot in Hartlepool. Video from the scene shows him attempting to cross a police line, yelling at officers and refusing to leave. A police dog then attacked him and bit him on the hip. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 and broke down in tears in court. According to Sky News, he worked at McDonald's and had no previous criminal record.

A 14-year-old boy's guilty plea to "violent public disorder" has caused concern. He and a number of other children aged between eight and 12 reportedly took part in a riot in Liverpool, throwing fireworks in the direction of a crowd and a police car. Prosecutors told the judge that the fireworks eventually exploded under the police car. The boy's father and uncle accompanied him to court on Aug. 5. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't aiming at you," he told the court.

Twenty-eight people arrested for rioting in Middlesbrough appeared in court on 6 June. In Nottinghamshire, eight suspects aged between 18 and 46 face charges of endangering public order, unlawful possession of a weapon and assaulting an emergency services officer. West Yorkshire Police charged a 28-year-old man with "using threatening words or behavior to incite racial hatred". The charge reportedly relates to Facebook posts made by the man between the 1st and 5th of this month.

 

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