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UK government doubles down on threats to those involved in immigration protests
The UK continues to grapple with protests following the stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England by a 17-year-old boy from Rwanda whose parents are migrants, and now law enforcement officers around the country are issuing unusually strong threats against those who are not only involved in the protests but making comments about them on social media that could stoke the flames.
In a video that is making the rounds on social media on account of its strong and almost taunting language, Merseyside’s top police officer, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, let Brits who participated in protests know that law enforcement is essentially hunting them down, saying “You absolutely haven’t got away with it.”
An X user who goes by the name “Concerned Citizen” shared footage of the officer’s warning with the caption: “The UK police have never spoken like this before. It’s like they’re trying to antagonise tens of millions of peaceful sensible Brits who simply want a conversation.”
Kennedy issued a similar warning in comments to the Liverpool Echo, where she stated: “We have got hours of CCTV footage, hours of social media footage that people are sending us, local people who are horrified at what they saw on their streets, who want us to come for you. We are reviewing that, we are identifying you and we are coming for you."
“You will see arrests carrying on over the next few days, the next few months. You are not safe, you cannot sit behind your door, thinking you are safe because we are coming for you," she added.
Her remarks came after a dozen people were brought to court on Monday over their involvement in recent protests. The Merseyside Police have arrested numerous individuals after protests on Saturday at the Liverpool city center and in Walton, as well as rioting in Southport on Tuesday.
They report that officers were attacked at all of these protests, and the one in Walton ended with a community library there being set on fire.
Kennedy cautioned that many more arrests will take place in the days, weeks and months to come, telling the publication: "The message I would want to send is that you may be sitting at home with a cup of tea, thinking you have got away with the events of Saturday or Tuesday, you absolutely haven't -- we are coming for you.”
Officers in other jurisdictions have been issuing similar warnings, with Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall announced that a full investigation has been launched into who was responsible for widespread destruction in protests there that saw a wooden spike launched at a female police officer.
“Make no mistake, if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law,” he said, adding that four officers had been injured.
People living abroad who support immigration protests could be prosecuted
Some officers are even going so far as to threaten those living abroad who they believe are supporting the protests, saying that they are going after “keyboard warriors.”
Met Police Officer Sir Mark Rowley said "And whether you're in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you."
The Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales cautioned that even sharing material online could be considered an offense, telling Sky News: “We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media to look for this material, and then follow up with arrests.”
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