“Far-right racists” who brought violent disorder to the streets of Sunderland will not be allowed to win, the city’s MP has said as residents gather to help clean up.
About 500 people, including parents and their children, gathered ad hoc in the city centre on Friday evening, responding to far-right social media posts to turn up and demonstrate.
It quickly descended into violence, with masked boys and men throwing missiles, including bricks, stones, beer barrels and scaffolding poles, at riot police.
Eight people were arrested and three police officers were taken to hospital for treatment. A parked car and a neighbourhood police building were set alight and some shops were looted.
Lewis Atkinson, the Labour MP for Sunderland Central, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he felt “really sad” for the city.
“Sunderland has got such a bright future, and around what was essentially violent thuggery and rioting last night are such green shoots for the future,” he said on Saturday.
“I can’t stress enough, the fact that some far-right racists … decided to turn up in Sunderland does not at all represent our city.”
He said it was possible to draw a direct link between the disorder and the English Defence League.
There was a flag which referenced the “North East Infidels”, he said, “a Nazi EDL offshoot, the north-east chapter of what was the EDL”.
The EDL is not a formal organisation any more “but clearly the challenge that we face is how to tackle individuals that were involved in the EDL. They haven’t disappeared or gone away, they are still out there and need continued surveillance,” he said.
Atkinson said he was concerned about community relations in the city. “Sunderland is a diverse place,” he said. “These actions stoke division and that’s what people want to do but we won’t let them win.
“I’m also really heartened that this morning already the citizens of Sunderland are gathering in the city centre to clear up the mess and to talk to each other as neighbours and continue to build the city.”
The north-east metro mayor, Kim McGuinness, told BBC Breakfast: “You can see there’s really significant damage, they’ve set fire to a police station, to cars, they’ve looted shops, they’ve abused people in the street, they’ve attacked police officers, and Sunderland will be feeling the effect of that.”
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Some of those involved in the disorder wore red and white football shirts. In a post on X, Sunderland football club condemned the violence and said the city “will for ever be for all”.
It said: “Tonight’s shameful scenes do not represent our culture, our history, or our people.
“Our great city is built on togetherness and acceptance, and Sunderland will for ever be for all. We are stronger as one community. Now. Then. Always.”
At one point fire extinguishers were set off and then hurled at police lines. A taxi driving through crowds on a main road was attacked as it slowed down.
People involved in the disorder chanted anti-Islam slogans and “Tommy Robinson”, the name of the far-right activist.
There was also a standoff between police and protesters outside a mosque on Sunderland’s St Mark’s Road.
The violence is linked to the knife attack in Southport on Monday in which three young girls were killed. The authorities are braced for dozens more planned events this weekend.
Source: theguardian.com
