Far-right attacks spark anti-racism protests across Britain

Thousands of police and anti-racism protesters gathered on streets across Britain on Wednesday to challenge expected far-right groups that failed to materialise following more than a week of violent racist attacks targeting Muslims and migrants.

Britain has been hit by a series of riots that erupted early last week after three young girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, triggering a wave of false messaging online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant, as per Reuters.

Additionally, the far-right groups are expected to target a list of immigration centres, migrant support centres and specialist law firms on Wednesday, prompting any businesses to close early and some shops to board up windows.

According to sources, in retaliation, the deployment of thousands of police officers, and crowds of protesters massed in towns and cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Hastings, holding banners saying "Fight racism", "Stop the far right" and "Will trade racists for refugees".

The protesters were made up of a diverse collection of Muslims, anti-racist and anti-fascist groups, trade unionists, left-wing organisations, and locals appalled at the riots that had hit the country.

Waste collector Stetson Matthew, 64, who joined thousands of demonstrators in Walthamstow, northeast London, said people had the right to protest but that the targeting of ethnic minorities had put the country on edge.

"Everybody has the right to do what they need to do but what they must do is to put their voices across peacefully, amicably, without any stress or violence," he said.

One woman who joined a counter protest in Hastings, southeast England, said she was relieved to see a large turnout.

"I felt I absolutely had to be here tonight to take a stand, and it is much easier for me to come as a white woman then for some of my non-white friends, so I'm here in solidarity," said 37-year-old Lucy, a flower grower, who declined to give her last name.

Earlier last week, the situation in the country worsened after groups of a few hundred mostly men clashed with police and smashed windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, chanting "get them out" and "stop the boats" - a reference to those arriving in Britain in small dinghies without permission.