UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that authorities "have to stay on high alert going into this weekend", amid fears of further far-right riots in English towns and cities. Speaking at a visit to a Metropolitan Police control room in London, Starmer says the online sphere "is not a law-free zone", after misinformation spread on social media further fuelled unrest in recent days.
Starmer said the work by the criminal justice system in recent days, including judges swiftly handing down lengthy jail sentences to some rioters, had acted as a deterrent to more violence.
His comments came after two nights of relative quiet across England, after a week of near nightly unrest in more than a dozen towns and cities in the wake of a deadly knife attack that killed three children.
Starmer said the work by the criminal justice system in recent days, including judges swiftly handing down lengthy jail sentences to some rioters, had acted as a deterrent to more violence.
His comments came after two nights of relative quiet across England, after a week of near nightly unrest in more than a dozen towns and cities in the wake of a deadly knife attack that killed three children.
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00:00I think it's really important that we maintain high alert. I've always been here at the control
00:05room of the Met looking at what's essentially the nerve centre, but my message to the police
00:10and all of those that are charged with responding to disorder is maintain that high alert. I'm
00:17absolutely convinced that having the police officers in place these last few days in the
00:22right places, the swift justice that's being dispensed in our courts have had a real impact.
00:30But we have to stay on high alert going into this weekend because we absolutely have to
00:34make sure that our communities are safe and secure and feel safe and secure. In relation
00:39to online and social media, the first thing I'd say is this is not a law-free zone. And
00:45I think that's clear from the prosecutions and sentencing. Today we're due sentencing
00:51for online behaviour. That's a reminder to everyone that whether you're directly involved
00:57or whether you're remotely involved, you're culpable and you will be put before the courts
01:03if you've broken the law.