Violent clashes between protesters and police in Sunderland on Friday night resulted in a police office being attacked and a vehicle set on fire. The unrest was triggered by a demonstration linked to the recent knife attack in Southport, Merseyside, in which two children were killed. Riot police were targeted with beer cans and stones near a mosque on St Mark’s Road. Witnesses reported that some of the demonstrators wore masks. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene of the blaze at Sunderland Central Police building.
The protests continued with vehicles being targeted in the city centre. The Metro system’s Sunderland Rail Station closed on request from the British Transport Police. The unrest was condemned by local police and politicians including North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness. The MP for Sunderland, Lewis Atkinson, backed the police and called the protesters “criminals”. Anti-racist protests were also held outside mosques in Liverpool.
The protests have been linked to far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Video footage from Hartlepool showed a flag-waving Robinson attending a demonstration in Southport. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the violence in Sunderland, saying that those who “commit violence, abuse others, attack the police and damage property” stood “for nothing except thuggery”. Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, confirmed that extra prosecutors would be working over the weekend to deal with disorder.
Police have advised individuals to stay away from the affected areas where possible. Sunderland Central Omniplex cinema cited public and staff safety as the reason for its temporary closure
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