FAR-RIGHT protests have been planned across the UK in the coming days in the aftermath of the stabbing attack in Southport last week.
At least 19 rallies are planned, backed by right-wing groups across the UK, according to The Guardian.
The new wave of demonstrations comes off the heels of several nights of rioting in England, with violence in London, Southport, Manchester and Hartlepool leading to more than 100 arrests.
This weekend, demonstrations are expected to be held in Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Hull, Newcastle, Nottingham, Belfast, Bristol and Leeds.
Online flyers have been circulated on messaging app Telegram calling on "patriots" to "take action", according to the Times.
Further afield, protests have been planned in Glasgow and Dover, with the Glasgow rally taking place on September 7 in George Square.
Amplified by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the event has drawn swift condemnation across Scotland.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said of Robinson that "he's not welcome in Glasgow, and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric."
A counter-protest has been organised in Glasgow on the same day by Stand Up to Racism.
In addition, the planned All Under One Banner demonstration on the same day in Edinburgh has been rebranded as a counter-protest.
Yaxley-Lennon is currently out of the UK, having fled the country after a warrant was issued for his arrest due to his alleged breach of English contempt of court law.
Zara Mohammed, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), has said hundreds of mosques across the country will be strengthening their security and protective measures this weekend.
Mohammed said: “There is really deep-seated anxiety amongst Muslim communities, particularly for this weekend.
“Yesterday we hosted a mosque security community briefing and we had representation from hundreds of mosques across the country and there was palpable fear.
“We had mosques saying that they’d had threats on the phone about targeted attacks… we had a lot of anxiety around security and having enough protection.”
Asked about how mosques are preparing, she said: “So it’s around protective measures: ensuring that the doors and windows are secure, carrying out a risk assessment, making sure CCTV cameras are working, and having some paid security staff on site.”
Mohammed stressed the need for Muslim communities to have a “direct relationship” with local police forces during the disorder.
Among the areas the MCB says could be targeted are Liverpool, Glasgow, Lancaster, Blackburn, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sunderland, Dover, Middlesborough, Leeds and Hull.
Keir Starmer announced new policing and intelligence powers yesterday in the aftermath of the recent riots in England.
The new powers for police services in England involve expanded use of facial recognition technology, improved sharing of information between police services and increased use of criminal behaviour orders.
Speaking of the protesters, Starmer said: "These thugs are mobile – they move from community to community, and we must have a policing response that can do the same."
