Vigilante justice won’t stop the riots

There were ugly scenes in Birmingham last night after hundreds of men, some wearing masks, gathered in the Alum Rock and Bordesley Green areas of the city, following false reports that far-right protesters planned to march there. Rumours of a far-right gathering had been circulating all day and were the subject of discussions in a Telegram group linked to the initial violence in Southport after three girls were stabbed last week. In the event, the far-right protest failed to materialise, but West Midlands police are investigating reports of assault, criminal damage, and a man in possession of an offensive weapon. 

Scores of demonstrators had gathered to ‘protect property’ and ‘defend their communities’ amid fears of another night of violence. Images show a large crowd, some wearing balaclavas, near a McDonald’s restaurant in the Bordesley Green area of the city, chanting about stopping far-right thugs. Other video footage showed large groups of men, some masked, waving Palestine flags.