UPDATE - Far-right protesters clash with police in central London, English town of Hartlepool

ADDS MORE INFO, NEW STATEMENT FROM POLICE

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Hundreds of far-right protesters clashed with police in central London late Wednesday, a day after similar skirmishes took place in Southport, England.

The violent incidents in Southport, a seaside town in the country’s northwest, occurred Tuesday following false reports widely spread by extremist far-right social media accounts that the suspect in a stabbing attack Monday in Southport who killed three young girls and wounded several more children at a children’s dance class was an asylum seeker.

“We are aware that some protestors have breached conditions on Whitehall,” the Metropolitan Police said regarding the unrest in Whitehall, London.

“Officers are at the scene and engaging with protestors,” they added.

Police said later in a post on X that more than 100 people have been "arrested for offences including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions."

"Some officers suffered minor injuries," they added.

Wednesday’s incidents followed unrest in Southport in which hundreds of protesters who were provoked by members of the English Defense League (EDL) – an anti-Muslim xenophobic fascist group -- clashed with police after attacking a local mosque with projectiles.

The incident was widely condemned by politicians after more than 50 police officers were injured.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the riot as “thuggery” and promised that those involved will face “the full force of the law.”

On Wednesday, the Merseyside Police said in a statement that they had "intelligence about other events taking place potentially this evening and the weekend" following the violence last night. Merseyside chief constable Serena Kennedy said police in Southport “are planning” for fresh incidents, “but we are confident we have sufficient resources here in Merseyside."

-Hartlepool

A copycat riot also took place in the town of Hartlepool in northeast England, where far-right protesters were seen in social media posts throwing missiles.

Incidents were taking place in and around Murray Street, where Muslims live and there is a mosque.

“There remains a policing presence in the Murray Street area while officers deal with disorder after responding to a protest -- several arrests have already been made,” local police said in a Facebook post.

“The road is still closed, and people are advised to avoid the area.”

The riot continued into the early hours of Thursday. Rioters set a vehicle alight and an Asian man was seen to have been punched in the face in posted videos.

"At this stage, there have been four arrests for various offences, including public order and affray, and they have been taken into custody," police said.

-Misinformation

The far-right groups immediately started spreading misinformation that the Southport attacker was a Muslim immigrant following the incident.

Far-right groups including the EDL and Britain First, as well as convicted far-right fascist activist Tommy Robinson played an active role in spreading the rumors on the identity of the knife attacker.

More than 100,000 social media posts have been viewed millions of times since the attack under the hashtag #enoughisenough.

Authorities said Thursday morning that the 17-year-old man who was detained following the Southport stabbings was charged with three counts of murder.