LONDON: Police in the UK have been asked to increase protection for mosques amid fears they could be targeted by the far right.
It comes after mosques were targeted by mobs in Southport and Hartlepool in the north of England earlier this week, and violence flared in other cities across the country.
The violence broke out after three children were stabbed to death in Southport on Monday. Information circulated online falsely claimed that the perpetrator had been a Muslim asylum-seeker.
He was later identified by a court on Thursday as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents.
The judge hearing the case, Andrew Menary KC, said reporting restrictions on Rudakubana’s identity due to his age should be lifted to stop people “who are up to mischief to continue to spread disinformation in a vacuum.”
However, fears abound in communities across the country that the spread of misinformation has already gone too far, putting more mosques, as well as asylum-seekers, at further risk.
Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama, an organization that studies Islamophobia in the UK, told The Guardian: “We absolutely need to see the police organize and step up their patrols around mosques and asylum-seeker accommodation.
“It would be good to see neighborhood teams change their patrol times to provide additional reassurance to the communities.”
Subsequent demonstrations in Manchester and Aldershot saw migrant accommodation targeted by protesters holding signs saying “deport them, don’t support them” and “no apartments for illegals.”
Meanwhile, in London at least 110 people were arrested after flares were thrown at a protest near Downing Street.
Shaukat Warraich, a director at Mosque Security, told The Guardian that his company had been contacted by numerous people in recent days for advice, and that its online security recommendations had been downloaded by “hundreds” due to “the false anti-Muslim narrative being peddled following the Southport murders.”
The Guardian also reported that it believes 19 far-right rallies will take place in the coming days across England, with counter-demonstrations also planned in London and Liverpool.
Atta told the newspaper: “Last week has demonstrated how the far right can organize online and promote hate and misinformation toward Muslim communities, refugees and asylum-seekers. We ask communities to keep calm, look out for each other and to remain vigilant.”
Nahella Ashraf, of Stand Up to Racism Manchester, said: “Before the election, with all the attacks on asylum-seekers, it’s not surprising we’re seeing this unleashed.
“We’ve had years where people are feeling angry and neglected and the cost of living crisis feeds into it. It’s the climate the politicians have set.”
UK police urged to protect mosques ahead of far-right rallies
https://arab.news/wzn56
UK police urged to protect mosques ahead of far-right rallies
- Mosques targeted after false information online blamed stabbing of 3 children on Muslim asylum-seeker
- Tell Mama director: ‘We ask communities to keep calm, look out for each other and to remain vigilant’
Kyiv under ‘massive’ missile attack, Russian village evacuated after drone strike
- "A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday
- Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region
KYIV/MOSCOW: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply early Thursday as both sides launched significant aerial assaults, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas.
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, came under a “massive” attack from Russian missiles, officials said, while Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of a village in the Volgograd region following a drone strike on a military facility.
"A mass attack on the capital is still underway," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram early Thursday. He reported hits on both residential and non-residential buildings on both sides of the Dnipro River, which bisects the city.
According to preliminary reports, falling fragments struck near two residential buildings in one district. While no fires broke out and no immediate casualties were reported, emergency medical teams were dispatched to the affected areas.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, confirmed at least one hit in an eastern suburb, as witnesses reported explosions resounding across the city.
The southeastern city of Dnipro was also targeted. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha stated that while some private homes and cars sustained damage, there were no indications of casualties. Air raid alerts remained in effect in both Kyiv and Dnipro well after midnight.
Drone Strike in Russia
Simultaneously, a Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russia ignited a fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region.
"Falling debris caused a fire on the grounds of a Ministry of Defense facility near the village of Kotluban," Governor Andrey Bocharov posted on Telegram.
Authorities declared an immediate evacuation of the nearby village "to ensure civilian safety from the threat of detonation during firefighting," Bocharov added.
The exchange of strikes follows a deadly day in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday, a Russian strike on the city of Bogodukhiv in the Kharkiv region killed four people, including three young children.
Regional military head Oleg Synegubov reported that two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl were killed, along with a 34-year-old man. A 74-year-old woman and a 35-year-old pregnant woman were also wounded in the attack. The Kharkiv region has seen intensified Russian attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in recent weeks.
The ongoing violence stands in stark contrast to diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian and Russian officials have been holding US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the four-year invasion. While the two sides successfully conducted a prisoner swap last week, a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict remains elusive.
The human toll continues to mount. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), approximately 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022. The agency noted that 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict so far, with more than 2,500 civilians killed.
