WEEKEND OF SHAME
Hotel petrol-bombed & bricks hurled at riot cops in ANOTHER night of carnage as 100s of thugs descend on UK cities
Terrifying footage from Rotherham showed masked yobs kick out the windows to storm the Holiday Inn Express
THUGS petrol bombed a migrant hotel last night as chaos descended on UK cities for another day of carnage.
Yobs lit fires and hurled missiles at riot cops guarding Holiday Inns in Rotherham and Tamworth, Staffs, as violent clashes broke out in dozens of UK towns and cities.
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Rioting broke out across the UK this week fuelled by online lies following the murders of three girls in Southport on Monday.
Posts wrongly claimed suspect Axel Rudakubana, 17, was a Muslim asylum seeker. He was actually born in Cardiff and raised Christian.
Terrifying violence followed the attack in Southport, before unrest spread to Hartlepool and Manchester on Wednesday, Sunderland and Blackpool on Friday then 11 more cities by Saturday.
Footage from Rotherham on Sunday showed masked yobs kicking out windows to storm the Holiday Inn Express, which houses migrants.
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Another Holiday Inn where asylum seekers are thought to stay was petrol bombed in Tamworth, Staffordshire, as those inside watched through windows.
Meanwhile, in Weymouth cops were tasked with keeping protesters and counter-protesters separate along the beach. Cops confirmed two officers were injured, one hit in the face with a bottle while the other was punched.
The thugs in Rotherham forced their way past cops into the hotel after pelting them with bricks, glass bottles and even fence panels. Some then hurled chairs.
A towering blaze broke out as the group of 700 outside the hotel chanted: “Get them out.”
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One injured cop was seen being carried to safety by colleagues.
Cops later confirmed at least 10 were injured, including an officer who was knocked unconscious, another who suffered a suspected broken elbow and another suffering from suspected broken bones.
Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield said: “Today in Rotherham we have seen our officers attacked and at least ten injured, significant damage caused and a fire set outside a hotel full of terrified residents and staff.
"The behaviour we witnessed has been nothing short of disgusting."
PM tells rioters ‘you will regret it’ as violence sweep across UK
Later in the night hundreds descended on the Holiday Inn in Tamworth, where three petrol bombs were used to start "a series of fires," according to Staffordshire Police.
Footage shared widely online showed a towering blaze ignite inside a smashed window of the hotel.
Officers were assaulted, with one left with a suspected broken arm.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Ellison said: “The senseless violence and acts of despicable thuggery in Tamworth tonight are completely inexcusable. The local community do not deserve to be subject to this behaviour, and neither do the brave officers putting themselves in harm’s way to keep everyone safe."
Meanwhile another migrant hotel, this time in Aldershot, was also targeted.
A group of men outside Potters International Hotel brandished a banner insisting: “We’re not far right, we’re just right.”
By 6.45pm a crowd of some 200 "got involved in criminal activity, throwing objects and subjecting people to racist abuse," according to Hampshire Police.
The force confirmed five men were arrested aged 32, 25, 18, 28 and 60.
At Middlesbrough’s Cenotaph, hundreds of protesters squared up to police before throwing slate, cans and pots at the officers.
A group of masked yobs walked through a residential area using metal bars and wooden posts to smash car windscreens and the windows of terraced houses.
Vehicles were torched, along with wheelie bins.
One victim, a white man in his 40s who did not want to be named, said: “I’m born and bred in Middlesbrough and these morons target my house just for the hell of it. I could hear them yelling about immigrants, but they were smashing cars and house windows indiscriminately.
"They're the scum of the earth."
Snaps show the devastation which rioters have left behind in many towns this morning.
One photo shows a torched upside-down car in Middlesbrough - with thugs responsible nowhere to be seen.
How many arrests were made on Sunday?
SOME 52 arrests were made in response to an eruption of violence across the UK on Sunday.
Rotherham - 1
Aldershot - 5
Middlesbrough - 43
Weymouth - 3
Tamworth - Unknown
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Cleveland Police confirmed 43 people were arrested by 1.28am on Monday, adding: "A full investigation is now underway."
ACC David Felton, said: “The level of violence we have seen today is staggering. We know the shocking scenes across Middlesbrough today will have caused alarm amongst communities.
“I want to reassure the people of Teesside that we will continue to identify those involved in these acts of violence and arrest them and put them before the courts.”
In the centre of Bolton, large crowds of anti-immigration demonstrators gathered along with counter-protesters while police tried to keep them apart.
An anti-immigrant rally on Weymouth seafront was met by a counter-protest.
Three men, aged 42, 62 and 27, were arrested trying to break through police lines.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan said: “There were rumours circulating that asylum seekers currently housed on the Bibby Stockholm would be moved to Portland, Weymouth or the wider Dorset Council area but the Home Office have confirmed this is not the case. In addition, there are no asylum seekers housed in hotels in the Weymouth area."
There was a large turnout in Hull, scene of earlier violence.
Greater Manchester Police said a Section 34 dispersal notice had been authorised until 10pm yesterday, giving officers extra powers to deal with anyone causing anti-social behaviour.
Chief Inspector Natasha Evans said the force was acting to “prevent serious disruption and ensure everyone can go about their lives without fear or risk of harm”.
Merseyside Police introduced two Section 60 orders in Liverpool and Southport between 2pm yesterday and 2am today, giving officers greater stop-and-search powers.
Last night faith leaders in Merseyside issued a joint statement calling for calm and urging people to hold the families of Southport stabbing victims Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at “the forefront of all our thoughts”.
They said: “Division can destroy the very relationships and environment that we depend upon every day of our lives and there is no place for hate in our communities.
“It can — and has — left communities in fear and has put people in danger. At this difficult time, let us remember that there is far more that unites than divides us.
“The people of all faiths and none who came out to sweep the streets, to rebuild walls and have so generously donated money in memory of those three girls — that is the spirit that will help us through this incredibly challenging time.”
Since the horror a week ago, the country has been plagued by riots.
‘Allowing hate’ rap on social websites
By Mike Sullivan and Emily-Jane Heap
SOCIAL media giants were last night accused of fanning the flames of hatred by allowing riots to be organised on their sites.
Former Met Chief Supt Simon Ovens said: “All of this chaos is being run on social media.
“Why are social media companies allowing their platforms to be used for racist, criminal thuggery?”
Essex Chief Constable B.J. Harrington said the online companies “have a responsibility” to stop the spread of hate.
Tech Against Terrorism founder Adam Hadley last night added: “The internet is being exploited and manipulated. A number of platforms amplify polarising content for profit.”
Last week, PM Sir Keir Starmer warned social media companies that hate “happening on your premises” is also a crime.
On Wednesday, 111 people were arrested in London and 11 more in Hartlepool, two in Manchester and two in Aldershot.
On Friday, violence erupted outside a Liverpool mosque.
Saturday saw forces pushed to the brink with more than 100 arrests and dozens of officers hurt.
Trouble flared in Belfast, Blackpool, Stoke, Leeds, Hull, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol and Portsmouth.
Last night National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for public order, BJ Harrington, said leave had been cancelled by many forces and 4,000 officers put on standby.
Mr Harrington warned those involved in disorder: “Make no mistake, if you haven’t had a knock on the door yet, your time will come.”
He said fake news inflamed the trouble and urged social media users to be careful what they share, adding: “Think twice before you act.”
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson suggested courts could sit overnight to ensure “thugs who maraud our streets” are brought to justice.
Similar action was taken in the wake of the 2011 London riots.
In a hard-hitting message from Downing Street, the PM said: “I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves.”
He went on: “This is not a protest, it is organised, violent thuggery and it has no place on our streets or online.
“All right-minded people should be condemning this sort of violence. People in this country have a right to be safe.
“And yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques.
"Other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric, so no, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: Far-right thuggery.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced new emergency measures to protect mosques.
Those at risk of violent disorder will be offered additional security personnel.
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She said: “Britain is a proud and tolerant country, and nobody should make any excuses for the shameful actions of the hooligans, thugs and extremist groups who have been attacking police officers, looting local shops or attacking people based on the colour of their skin.
“In light of the disgraceful threats and attacks that local mosques have also faced in many communities, the Government is providing rapid additional support through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.”