“Appalling far-right” violence on the streets of Sunderland does not represent the region or its people, the north-east mayor has said as hundreds gathered in the city to help clean up.
Kim McGuinness said she was “shocked and horrified” by the violence of rioters on Friday evening.
“They will not define our reputation,” she said on Saturday. “They will not define our place in the world.”
McGuinness said the people of Sunderland are “warm, friendly, hard-working and, most of all, proud”.
“That is the reputation of this great place. This is a city of compassion and community, culture and creativity. We will not let anybody stand in the way of these values,” she added.
About 500 people, including some parents and their children, came together in the city centre on Friday evening, responding to far-right social media posts to turn up and demonstrate.
It quickly descended into violence, with masked boys and men throwing missiles, including bricks, stones, beer barrels and scaffolding poles, at riot police.
Ten people were arrested and four police officers were taken to hospital for treatment, including a mounted officer who was seriously injured.
A police station was ransacked and the neighbouring Citizens’ Advice Bureau was set alight.
The violence went on late into the night. By 8am on Saturday, there were hundreds of residents, young and old, out on the streets with brooms, litter pickers, buckets, bin bags and dust pans.
The acrid smell of fire was still in the air as people stopped to talk with each other of their shock and anger at what had happened.
Vivienne Simpson was out with friends and family, all with brushes, first thing. She said she had watched the violence on the news, horrified.
“Those people are not our city, they don’t represent us,” she said. “It was far-right, thieving thugs. Just absolute scum.”
“After all the work they are doing to improve the city. It has been down for so long …,” she said, fighting tears. “I get quite upset thinking about. I was sick last night, it was horrible.”
During the morning, more people turned up, gathering near a parked car which the rioters had overturned and set on fire.
People were encouraged to spread out and find corners that council-cleaning vehicles could not reach.
David Mulligan summed up the feelings of many. “They were just fighting, stealing and thieving. They had come out for laughs. Most of them were out just to cause havoc.”
Some of those the Guardian spoke to found it difficult to express their distress. “I can’t even talk about it,” said one woman. “I want to cry. It is so awful.”
Another said: “This is not the people of Sunderland. Those people last night were morons, absolute morons. Why I’m here is that we love our city, no matter what anyone says … yesterday was not Sunderland.”
Lewis Atkinson, the MP for Sunderland Central, said it was possible to draw a direct link between the disorder and the English Defence League (EDL).
There was a flag which referenced the “North East Infidels”, he said, “a Nazi EDL offshoot, the north-east chapter of what was the EDL”.
The EDL is not a formal organisation any more “but clearly the challenge that we face is how to tackle individuals that were involved in the EDL. They haven’t disappeared or gone away, they are still out there and need continued surveillance,” he said.
The violence was condemned by Sunderland AFC which said, in a post on X, that the city “will for ever be for all”.
It said: “Tonight’s shameful scenes do not represent our culture, our history, or our people.
“Our great city is built on togetherness and acceptance, and Sunderland will for ever be for all. We are stronger as one community. Now. Then. Always.”
At one point, fire extinguishers were set off and then hurled at police lines. A taxi driving through crowds on a main road was attacked as it slowed down.
People involved in the disorder chanted anti-Islam slogans and “Tommy Robinson”, the name of the far-right activist.
There was also a standoff between police and protesters outside a city mosque.
The violence is linked to the knife attack in Southport on Monday in which three young girls were killed. The authorities are braced for dozens more planned events this weekend.
Police said they were prepared in the event of further violence. Ch Supt Mark Hall, the area commander for Sunderland, said the disorder, violence and damage would not be tolerated.
“Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law.”
Susan Dungworth, Northumbria’s police and crime commissioner, said there had been enough officers on the streets.
“My concern is that police forces nationally are going to be absolutely exhausted if this continues throughout the summer.”
