Far-right protests turned into riots in shocking scenes across parts of the country over the last week. Misinformation in the wake of the tragic knife attack on children at a dance class in Southport saw hate whipped up into a violent boiling point in towns and cities. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to The Southern Reporter, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Arrests have been made following the disturbances and those charged have started to appear in court. The first three people to be jailed were sentenced on 7 August, but the courts across the nation are expected to be busy. Advertisement Advertisement Violence and shocking scenes were seen as far and wide as Belfast, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Rotherham and initially in Southport.
Police were on high alert for further trouble last night (7 August) but instead huge counter anti-racism protests took to the streets. The riots raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and far-right content on social media. It has left many wondering what will be done by social media companies and the Government - here’s what has been said.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “The terrible violence we have witnessed in recent days is disgraceful.I have been clear it is unacceptable that people are using social media to cause damage, distress and destruction in our communities. “Today I had useful meetings with TikTok, Meta, Google and X, to make clear their responsibility to continue t.