Police across the UK are bracing for more violence following another night of rioting by far-right protesters in which four officers were injured in a tense stand-off outside a mosque in northeast England.
Protesters tossed beer barrels, fire extinguishers and rocks at police officers in the city of Sunderland during the violent disorder on Friday evening.
A car was set ablaze and a police station was attacked.
Many of those involved were not from the city and travelled to cause chaos, police said.
The violence in Sunderland, which resulted in 10 arrests, was the latest outbreak in the past few days and nights.
The protests have ostensibly erupted in the wake of Monday's stabbing rampage at a dance class in the northwest seaside town of Southport that left three girls dead and several wounded.
A 17-year-old male has been arrested.
False rumours spread online that the young man was a Muslim and an immigrant fuelled anger among far-right supporters.
Suspects younger than 18 are not usually named in the UK but Judge Andrew Menary ordered Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, to be identified - in part to stop the spread of misinformation.
In a press briefing on Saturday after the clear-up, Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Mark Hall described the violent protests in Sunderland as “unforgivable”.
He said four police officers were injured, three as a direct result of the disorder, while a mounted rider sustained serious injuries in an accident and was receiving treatment in hospital.
“During the course of the evening, our officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence," he said.
“Make no mistake - if you were involved last night, expect to be met with the full force of the law."
More than 20 protests are expected across the weekend, including in Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester.
Police said many were being organised online by shadowy far-right groups that were mobilising support with phrases such as “enough is enough”, “save our kids” and “stop the boats”.
Counter-protests are also anticipated with the organisation Stand Up To Racism rallying against Islamophobia and the far-right.
Officers in riot gear have been deployed in Belfast city centre and police vehicles have formed a barrier between an anti-racism rally and anti-Islamic protesters.
A small number of fireworks have been thrown amid tense exchanges.
Police have deployed more officers across the weekend in all corners of the UK, made more prison cells available and will deploy surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Britain’s new Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media platform X on Saturday that criminals attacking the police and stoking disorder would “pay the price” for their thuggery and that the police had the full backing of the government to “take the strongest possible action”.
Far-right demonstrators have held several violent protests since the stabbing attack, clashing with police on Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport - near the scene of the horrific crime - and hurling beer cans, bottles and flares near the prime minister’s office in London the next day.
Many in Southport have expressed their anger at the organised acts of violence in the wake of the tragedy.
The attack on Monday on children at a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance class shocked a country where knife crime is a long-standing and vexing problem, although mass stabbings are rare.
Rudakubana has been charged with murder over the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6.
He also has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were wounded.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the mayhem.
He said police across the UK would be given more resources to stop “a breakdown in law and order on our streets”.
With PA
