Police building set on fire and officers in hospital as far-right riot in Sunderland

Chief Superintendent Helena Barron from Northumbria Police confirmed three police officers were taken to hospital this evening, and while one has been discharged, two are still receiving treatment.

Eight people have been arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary, and the force has launched a full investigation to identify others responsible.

Chief Supt Barron added: ‘The shocking scenes we have witnessed in Sunderland this evening are completely unacceptable.

‘I want to make it absolutely clear that the disorder, violence and damage which has occurred will not be tolerated.

‘The safety of the public is our utmost priority and when we became aware that a protest had been planned, we ensured there was an increased policing presence in the city.

‘During the course of the evening those officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence, which is utterly deplorable.

‘In the face of these attacks, they showed unwavering commitment for which I wholeheartedly thank them, as I am certain the overwhelming majority of people in Sunderland will also.

Anyone involved in the disorder we have seen can expect to be dealt with robustly – and that action has already begun.

‘The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which the police uphold. However, we will not accept people using them as a means to commit crime.

‘We want to be clear anyone planning to involve themselves in disorder in the future should stay at home.

‘We also know the behaviour displayed is in no way representative of our friendly and welcoming region.

‘We therefore want to deliver a further message direct to our communities – we are aware that the actions we have seen this evening can be an attempt to drive division amongst us all and we are committed to making sure that does not happen.

‘We have incredibly cohesive communities here which we are proud to be a part of and to serve.

‘This is just one of the reasons which makes our region such a special place to live, work and visit. We are stronger together.’

A heartwarming update from GoFundMe, who have confirmed this evening that donations through their platform have topped £300,000 since the horrific stabbings on Monday.

Thousands of people have donated to the families of Alice Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Bebe King, as well as for Leanne Lucas and Heidi Barlow.

Steven Gerrard and Anthony Gordon both donated huge sums to a community-led fundraiser which has topped £100,000 alone, and there are also further fundraisers to help rebuild both Southport Mosque and the Windsor Mini Mart.

You can visit GoFundMe’s centralised hub here, which links to all of the verified fundraising pages.

The Abdullah Quilliam Mosque has been handing out food and drink in Liverpool this evening.

Yesterday they promised to provide free refreshments for both protesters and counter-protesters, and even invited those with concerns into the mosque to have a conversation.

Adam Kelwick said: ‘Bring your concerns in, let’s have a discussion about issues which are affecting our communities and how we can work together to solve them.

‘The things which affect our society also affect us as a Muslim community.’

Tom Sanders, our reporter at the mosque, says none of the ‘Enough is Enough’ demonstration members took Adam up on his offer.

Describing the atmosphere as he left Liverpool at around 9.30pm, he said: ‘Honestly quite a victorious atmosphere. They’d beaten back the far-right comprehensively, who never stood a chance at getting anywhere near the mosque.

‘By the time I left at around half nine there was a drum circle and singing, and the far-right’s numbers had dwindled to next to nothing.

‘It was a definitive victory and those in attendance knew it.’

Samira travelled up from London to take part in the Liverpool counter-protest this evening.

Explaining why she came, she said: ‘The people here today are probably thinking the same as me, they’re shocked and appalled at the far-right riots in Southport, and the fact that racists feel emboldened to come out openly on our streets and attempt to attack mosques.

‘We’re here to defend the mosque, and to defend multicultural Britain as a whole.

‘The recent rhetoric is all about how it’s failing and we need to remove Islam from our country – essentially hysteria that’s based on a lie around the identity of the attacker in Southport.

‘The members of the far right are exploiting such a horrible situation which should be bringing the community together and all they want to do is further divide people.

‘It’s shameful, and it’s our responsibility to come out and say we’re part of something bigger than them.

‘I think it’s good that so many people have come out because at the moment it can feel a bit like it’s a moment of despair, that maybe the far right is winning, but I think we’re the majority.’

Lila Tamea took part in the counter-protest in Liverpool this evening.

She told Metro: ‘The past couple of nights, it’s been difficult not knowing what to expect. Obviously I’m a visible hijabi Muslim woman in Liverpool, I commute, I get the train.

‘I know Scousers, and I know Liverpool is quite an anti-racist city, it’s quite a leftist city as well, so I think the scenes tonight are to be expected.

‘It’s been nice to see, and I did expect quite a good turn-out, but I did expect a lot more of the far-right to come, so I do think the counter-demo really did its job in deterring them.

‘I definitely think the far-right would have been more emboldened [if there was no counter-demo]. They were still shouting despite the numbers we’ve seen here today, we’ve got 200 and there were about 50 far-right.

‘Even then, they were quite emboldened to shout despite the police and the amount of counter-protesters, but they just look very silly.’

Discussing the future of anti-fascist counter-protesting in Liverpool, she added: ‘This is obviously a good show of force in terms of numbers, but there aren’t many Muslims in Liverpool, so it is still quite worrying.

‘It’s been worrisome seeing the lack of reaction and lack of acknowledgement for the Muslim community from politicians – they don’t seem to recognise how bad things are getting and this just shows you the direction we’re going in if they don’t come and stop it quicker.’

Riots in Sunderland have seen at least one vehicle and building set on fire, along with an attempted attack on a mosque.

But this ‘tiny minority causing trouble’ doesn’t represent the city, according to Lewis Atkinson, Labour MP for Sunderland Central.

He said: ‘Tomorrow the people of Sunderland will come together and continue to build the bright future that we have – a future where every community of our city feels safe and prospers.’

Protesters and their sympathisers have repeatedly insisted they are not far-right as riots spread across the country this week.

This is despite men in balaclavas, often wrapped in England flags, attacked mosques, refugees and police while chanting anti-immigrant slogans.

Now footage has emerged of a bare-chest men with a swastika tattoo on his back in Sunderland.

The black symbol in a white circle in the centre of red rectangle is in the same style as flags of Nazi Germany, which killed millions of Jewish people and other victims during the Holocaust, mostly in gas chambers.

A gas mask is visible on the other side of the man’s back.

An overturned car has been set alight, supermarket shoppers have been trapped in Aldi, and both bricks and beer barrels have been lobbed at police as protesters tried to attack a mosque.

Now a Sunderland police station is on fire, with flames roaring out the front.

The chop of a helicopter can be heard overhead in a video shared of the fire at Sunderland Central Police Station on Waterloo Place.

Protesters have been chanting slogans supporting EDL founder Tommy Robinson and opposing Islam as they gathered a few streets away in Keel Square tonight.

Some have sprayed police with fire extinguishers along the adjacent High West Street.

With riots spreading across the country, and police forces grappling to contain the violence, the prosecution service is working overtime.

Extra prosecutors have been called in to work over the weekend, according to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Stephen Parkinson said: ‘We take the recent incidents of violent disorder extremely seriously and we are ready to respond rapidly if there is a fresh outbreak.

‘We have deployed dozens of extra prosecutors who are working round the clock this weekend, supporting the police, and ready to make immediate charging decisions so that justice is swiftly delivered.’

Tensions have started to rise in Liverpool after a far-right demonstrator crossed the road towards Abdullah Quilliam Mosque.

A man filming with his phone as he drove past in a car has also riled up the crowd of counter-demonstrators.

Riot police swept in to keep apart the two groups, who have otherwise largely remained perched on their respective sides of the road.

Anti-fascist counter-demonstrators have been drowning out the far-right with chants of ‘Nazi scum off our streets’, ‘There are many many more of us than you’, and ‘Refugees are welcome here’.

Protesters in Sunderland appear to have turned the police’s horses against them by scooping up the dung and throwing it at officers.

Meanwhile, customers are cowering inside the Aldi opposite Millfield Mosque where this is all taking place.

Riot police have formed a human barrier around the religious and community building.

But they’ve become the targets of bricks, poppers and plant pots thrown by protesters.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: ‘I’m appalled by scenes from Sunderland. Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police and damage property you stand for nothing except thuggery. It’s not protest.

‘It’s crime and disorder. You don’t speak for Sunderland. You don’t speak for this region.

‘Those grieving in Southport will take no comfort from this.’

Things are relatively quieter in Liverpool where the up to 300 anti-fascist counter-demonstrators vastly outnumber the far-right.

Organisers of the protest targeting the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, the UK’s first when it opened in 1889, had sold it as a ‘major clash’.

But just 70 have responded to the call to arms, leaving them standing somewhat sheepishly across the road.

Holding a placard saying ‘Nans against Nazis’, 70-year-old Pat said: ‘We’re telling them wherever they go, we’ll be there. We’ve never allowed them in the city of Liverpool.’

She first protested 50 years ago against the National Front, and this fixture of Liverpool’s anti-fascist movement has no intention of stopping.

Pat said: ‘Someone said to me “you’re too old, don’t be doing this”, but as long as they’re here someone’s got to do it.’

Liverpool has a reputation for chasing out the far-right time after time, trapping them in a train station’s lost luggage, or pelting them with bananas, to the Benny Hill theme tune.

But local anti-fascists have been worried since a riot outside the Suites Hotel, housing asylum seekers, in nearby Kirkby caught them off guard last year.

Then, they found themselves unexpectedly outnumbered by the rioters who set fires, threw projectiles and shouted abuse, leaving counterdemonstrators feeling scared as they were trapped between fences and police.

Bricks lie at the feet of horses mounted by police officers, who’ve come under attack during the protests in Sunderland.

While some protesters stand on the pavement waving handheld Union Jacks as they watch on, others have taken a more violent route.

Pictures show beer splattering the window of a police car as a can is thrown at it.

But that’s perhaps a softer projectile than the stones and bricks flying through the air.

A black car, which appears to be a taxi, was surrounded by men wearing balaclavas outside the Holiday Inn near Sunderland City Hall.

They kicked its headlights and pelted it with stones as the air was filled with smoke.

One witness can be heard saying, ‘There’s no need for this at all’, as a car horn honks in the background.

Roughly a mile away from the protest outside Sunderland City Hall, a smaller crowd has gathered outside Masjid e Anwaar e Madinah, otherwise known as Millfield Mosque, on St Mark’s Road.

Some individuals wearing balaclavas or draped in flags have charged at riot police shouting ‘this is our land’ and calling police traitors.

Others have hurled stones and beer cans in their direction.

Mounted police have attempted to push them back.