Keir Starmer has promised “far-right thugs” targeting people because of their skin colour will be swiftly brought to justice, as he said all right-minded people should condemn the violence.
The prime minister issued a statement in a TV broadcast to those he said who may be feeling frightened that they could be targeted by their race or religion, promising that arrests, charges and convictions would be done very quickly.
“I want you to know that this violent mob do not represent our country and we will bring them to justice,” he said.
Starmer said those taking part, whether in person or being “whipping it up online and then running away themselves” would regret their actions.
Asked whether he thought everyone taking part in the riots were far-right thugs, he said: “If you target people because of the colour of their skin or their face then that is far right and I’m prepared to say so. But it doesn’t matter what apparent motivation there is. This is violence, not protest. It doesn’t matter what the motivation is,” he said.
He hit out at the “marauding gangs intent on breaking the law or worse” that attacked a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, where the residents and staff were in absolute fear.
“There is no justification, none, for taking this action and all right-minded people should be condemning this sort of violence,” he said.
Starmer’s address from Downing Street is his second in three days, since the violence broke out earlier this week.
Source: theguardian.com
