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[Global Times UK correspondent Ji Shuangcheng, Global Times correspondent Li Bo] British Prime Minister Starmer announced a policing plan in a televised speech on the 1st local time, and police forces across the country will strengthen cooperation to combat violent riots. According to the BBC, the stabbing incident in Southport earlier this week triggered riots, which then spread to London, Manchester and other places.

Starmer said in a televised speech that the riots were "not legitimate protests" but "the actions of a very small number of blind elements." He condemned "extreme right-wing hatred" and said that "they are clearly inciting violent riots online." Starmer said, "These thugs are very mobile and they will move from one community to another. We must have a police force that can deal with such situations." According to reports, the new police plan will include sharing intelligence, more widespread deployment of facial recognition technology, and simplifying procedures for faster arrests.

On the 2nd, London strengthened security measures to prevent the spread of riots. The picture shows a police car driving through Trafalgar Square in the city center. (Visual China)

The BBC mentioned that Starmer made the above remarks after meeting with senior British police officials. The British Prime Minister's Office previously stated that "while we protect the right to peaceful protest at all costs, criminals who use this right to spread hatred and commit violent crimes will face severe legal sanctions."

The Guardian reported on the 2nd that an 11-year-old boy in Hartlepool, a port city in northeast England, was arrested by the police on suspicion of arson against a police car, and seven other men were charged with violent disorder and will appear in court later on the 2nd. The report said that these people currently detained by the police are all related to the violent riots that broke out in Hartlepool caused by the knife-wounding case in Southport.

The Guardian mentioned that on the morning of the 1st, Hartlepool municipal staff and volunteers began a cleanup operation on the streets that had returned to calm. Later that day, British police chief Mark Webster gave a speech outside the Hartlepool Police Station, saying that the riots in the area were "crazy mob behavior" and that experienced police officers had never seen such a chaotic situation.

According to CNN on the 1st, the London Metropolitan Police Department announced that more than 100 people in London were arrested for "violent riots" and "attacks on emergency workers". Manchester police said two people were arrested. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he fully supports the London Metropolitan Police Department in taking action against those who "intend to commit violence, create chaos and create divisions in the city."

The Sky News website said that the suspect in the knife attack appeared in Liverpool District Court on the afternoon of the 1st. According to the judge's ruling in court, the suspect's name was announced. His name is Axel Rudakubana, who will turn 18 on August 7. Rudakubana was charged with three murders, 10 attempted murders and one knife possession crime. British media said that Rudakubana will appear in Liverpool Criminal Court on October 25, and the trial date is tentatively scheduled for January 20 next year. Prosecutors did not disclose the motive for the crime, but they revealed that according to the additional charges facing Rudakubana, the weapon used was a kitchen knife with a curved blade.

According to the British Daily Mirror, two people injured in the knife attack in Southport were discharged from hospital on the 1st. The hospital confirmed that the other five injured are currently in stable condition.

The Associated Press reported that Judge Menari, who heard the case, said it was "extraordinary" to allow the public disclosure of Rudakubana's identity because in the UK, defendants under the age of 18 have the right to anonymity. Menari said that continuing to protect the suspect's identity could allow rumors to continue to spread wildly, and "the downside of continuing to prevent the public disclosure of the identity is that it allows others to spread false information."

CNN mentioned that less than 24 hours after the Nangang stabbing case, before the suspect's name was announced, a similar pseudonym was mentioned more than 30,000 times by more than 18,000 accounts on the social platform X alone, and was constantly "spread with exaggeration" by some far-right groups with a large number of fans.

CNN quoted experts as saying that after any attack, there will always be speculation about the suspect's race and religion. "White nationalists will seize any opportunity to spread misinformation about Muslims and any non-white people. So they will immediately take action and desperately spread anything that can prove that they know 'who the murderer is.'"