Overnight violence in Sunderland has left three police officers in hospital and resulted in eight arrests. Riot police outside a mosque were targeted with beer cans and bricks, while a nearby Citizens Advice office was set alight. Masked rioters also vandalised the Sunderland Central Police Office. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness called the violence “thuggery”. It followed earlier rioting in England after three young girls were killed in Southport on Monday.
Both Sunderland Central Police office and the adjacent Citizens Advice office, where locals said there was still heavy smoke on Saturday morning, suffered extensive damage in the unrest. During the night, crowds also threw bricks and cans at police officers, leaving two of them still in hospital. The incident followed supposed far-right groups advertising a peaceful protest in Sunderland, which was anything but, according to Mayor McGuinness.
Sunderland City Council voiced its condemnation of the violence, saying it was not reflective of the city and promising to “restore calm for our communities.” On Twitter, the mayor said she was heartened to see in the morning that many locals had come out to help with the clean-up, demonstrating the “love and compassion” of Sunderland’s residents.
BBC Sunderland tweeted on X: “We are appalled by the events that have unfolded. Sunderland is known for being a warm and friendly place, the events of tonight are not a reflection of this proud city and its people.”
The unrest followed several nights of violence related to the deaths of three young girls in Southport. It was unclear who or which groups were responsible for the violence
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