LONDON: British police are gearing up for another night of violence amid concerns that far-right groups plan to target as many as 30 locations around the United Kingdom on Wednesday following a week of rioting and disorder.
Authorities are mobilizing about 6,000 specially trained officers to respond to disorder throughout the U.K., and London's Metropolitan Police Service said it would do "everything in our power" to protect the capital.
"We know about the events planned by hateful and divisive groups across the capital," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of the Met said late Tuesday. "They've made their intention to cause disruption and division very clear … We will not tolerate this on our streets."
The violence broke out after three girls, aged nine, seven and six, were killed and five more children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, north west England.
False rumours initially spread on social media saying the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales. UK media reported that his parents are from Rwanda.
Despite the police statement, a group in Southport attacked a local mosque, and widespread violence has rocked England and Northern Ireland since.
Rioters spouting anti-immigrant slogans attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum-seekers, with reports emerging of violent counterattacks in some communities.
Internet chat groups have shared a list of law firms specializing in immigration and advice agencies as possible targets for gatherings on Wednesday. The messages have invited people to "mask up" if attending.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a second consecutive meeting of the government's COBRA emergency response committee on Tuesday to coordinate the response to the crisis, which he has described as "far-right thuggery."
Police have already made more than 400 arrests around the country, and the government has pledged to prosecute and jail those responsible for the disorder.
The government has also announced new measures to protect mosques.
London's Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a post on X that the police, city hall and community leaders are working to protect targeted buildings and places of worship. Those involved in the disorder will feel the full force of the law, he said.
"I know the shocking scenes have left many Muslims and minority ethnic communities scared and fearful, so I ask my fellow Londoners to check on their friends and neighbors and show them that care and compassion is what Londoners are all about," he said. "In London, we have zero-tolerance for racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of hate."