More than 20 arrests were made following protests across the UK on Wednesday (August 7).

Riots and protests have broken out in locations across the UK - including the likes of London and Liverpool - over the past few weeks following a knife attack in Southport last Monday (July 29).

Scenes of violence, vandalism, burning police cars and projectiles being thrown at mosques have flooded people's news feeds recently as violence across the country escalated. 

Police forces had been bracing for more riots and disruptive behaviour on Wednesday with protests planned up and down the country.

But Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer, on Thursday (August 8), said Wednesday night’s events turned out “much better than was expected”, after many planned anti-immigration protests failed to materialise.

How did the riots start?

Sir Keir said: “The first priority is safety and security of our communities, and yes, last night was much better than was expected, but we are not going to give up on our efforts here.

“That’s why it’s very important that I continue my discussions, co-ordinating with law enforcement, with police leaders, to make sure we’ve got the right officers in the right place, to keep pushing on the criminal justice response."

The Prime Minister added additional deployments of police officers and the quick sentencing of people involved in disorder were the reasons riots did not materialising on Wednesday night.

He continued: “I was very keen that we were able to demonstrate that if you’re involved in disorder, within days you will be in the criminal justice system and some people starting long terms of imprisonment.

“That needs to continue, and so that is my sole focus."

So far more than 400 people have been arrested and over 140 charged in the wake of riots in the UK.

Where did Wednesday's protests take place as 25 arrests made

Protests still took place on Wednesday night, with reports of gatherings in locations including London, Blackpool and Brighton.

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said the protests that did go ahead on Wednesday were “on the whole peaceful”.

More than 160 demonstrations were planned for Wednesday but only about 36 took place with “minimal disorder and only a handful of arrests”, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said.

Arrests were made in the following locations following the protests on Wednesday:

  • London (15 arrests)
  • Kent (3)
  • Hampshire (3)
  • Blackpool (2)
  • Southampton (1)
  • Portsmouth (1)

Stand Up To Racism arranged several protests across the country which took place on Wednesday.

The protests were labelled "Refugees Welcome" and, according to the campaign group, were centred around defending asylum support services.

These protests took place in:

  • Brentford
  • North Harrow
  • Rotherham
  • Sheffield
  • Hastings
  • Southampton
  • Derby
  • North Finchley
  • Southend-on-Sea
  • Liverpool
  • Northampton
  • Cheadle
  • Portsmouth
  • Aldershot
  • Waltham Forest
  • Brighton
  • Oxford
  • Birmingham

These kinds of counter-demonstrations were “on the whole peaceful” and showed that the majority of people in the UK are “tolerant” and “respect the police”, Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson added.

Around 20 potential gatherings and three counter-protests are planned for Thursday (August 8), according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

While Stand Up to Racism has also called for a 'National Day of Protest' on Saturday (August 10) in "every town and city" to "stop the far right".

What are the UK protests about and why are there riots?

The riots and protests across the UK come following the death of three children, killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last Monday (July 29).

Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9), Bebe King (6), and Elsie Dot Stancombe (7) were killed and eight others injured during the attack.

Five children were left in critical condition, while two adults - yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, were also critically hurt.

Rumours emerged on social media claiming that the attacker was a man called Ali Al-Shakati who was a Muslim asylum seeker.

However, this wasn't true, with the individual accused of the charges being identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana in court.

Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to parents of Rwanda heritage, before moving to the village of Banks just outside of Southport.

A vigil in Southport was held last Tuesday (July 30) but on the same evening, hundreds of protestors gathered outside a mosque in the town.

Chants were expressing Islamophobic and anti-immigration sentiment alongside support for Tommy Robinson, the founder of the EDL (English Defence League).

Objects were thrown at the mosque and riot police who were on site to deal with the disorder, with a police van also being set alight.

The rioting has since spread across the country affecting major cities including London, Liverpool and Bristol.

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Much of the reasoning behind the riots has been Islamophobia and anger towards immigration, both legal and illegal.

The Financial Times said: "The killings in Southport — although by a UK-born resident — prompted a torrent of disinformation blaming both immigrants in general, and Muslims in particular, for crime.

"Far-right sympathisers also accuse the police of treating nationalist and white protesters more harshly on the streets than they do, for example, pro-Palestine demonstrators."