More than £100,000 has been raised to help replenish books in a Liverpool library that was torched during violent disorder over the weekend by far-right “thugs”.
Merseyside Police said some 300 people “intent on committing serious violence” were involved in the unrest on County Road, Walton which saw community facilities set alight.
The recently refurbished Spellow Lane Library Hub, which had previously been burnt out and looted, suffered severe fire damage to its ground floor amid the chaos.
Police said rioters attempted to prevent firefighters from accessing the blaze when they arrived to the scene.
They also threw a missile at the fire engine and broke the rear window of the cab.
Nine people were arrested for the disorder on County Road, while a further 12 were arrested over disorder in the city centre.
Assistance Chief Constable Alex Goss said: “Throughout the day our officers have been confronted with violence on the streets of the city centre and on County Road.
“Firefighters who attended to put out a fire at the Spellow Lane Library Hub were also confronted by the group who tried to prevent them putting out the fire. These actions are utterly despicable.
“Many of those involved were young people and sadly, they were probably local. We are urging parents and guardians to make sure they know where their children are and what they are up to.
A GoFundMe page has been set up following the Saturday riots to replenish “some of the [library] books which were damaged”.
Organiser Alex McCormick wrote: “Our city is a sad place at the minute, much like the rest of the country.
"But it makes me heartbroken to think that children will miss out on an opportunity to read and explore new books and stories in a community space which is meant to be safe for them and their families, especially over the summer holidays.”
More than 5,600 people responded to the fundraiser plea, with donations smashing the £500 target and reaching more than £110,000.
One individual who donated wrote: “Our country can be better than this! Let's not let hate win.”
Another said: “We didn’t let Nazis get away with burning books in the forties and we won’t now.”
Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said of the violence: “The recent acts of violence and chaos over the weekend have been profoundly saddening, and are an insult to the grieving families in Southport.
“Since then, I have been meeting with our partners in the police and fire services, our council staff, and people in the affected areas to express my gratitude, but also to make sure the actions we take in the coming days, weeks and years, leave our city in the best position to recover.
“The police continue to have a strong presence across the city, and swift action is being taken to identify the perpetrators and apply the law forcefully, with a number of people already in court today.”
