LONDON (Reuters) – Nationwide rioting that shook Britain last summer was not coordinated by specific groups, but police must do more to counter false narratives online to avoid similar events in future, England’s police watchdog said on Wednesday.
Racist unrest involving far-right supporters erupted at anti-immigration protests across Britain last summer after false information circulated online that a British teenager who killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event was an Islamist migrant.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, admitted killing the girls and stabbing 10 others last July in the northern English town of Southport. He was sentenced to at least 52 years behind bars in January.
In a report, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said those who took part in the riots were mostly “disaffected individuals, influencers or groups that incited people to act violently”, rather than criminal factions or extremists.
“It was mainly unrelated to their ideology or political views,” the inspectorate said in the report. “The causes of the disorder were complex, but the overwhelming speed and volume of online content further fuelled its spread.”
HMICFRS said the police had not kept pace with the fast-developing nature of online communications, and that such events required forces to counter false narratives online and be innovative in their approach.
“Policing cannot be passive when public safety is at risk,” HMICFRS said.
HMICFRS also found the police did not sufficiently prioritise intelligence on disorder and that lessons had not been learned from previous outbreaks. Chief Inspector Andy Cooke said the police “should not be caught off-guard again”.
The National Police Chiefs Council welcomed the report but said it failed to accurately assess the forces’ role in countering harmful online content.
“It overlooks the reality that law enforcement cannot and should not regulate social media, placing unrealistic expectations on policing while ignoring the critical responsibility of platform providers and regulators,” the NPCC said.
“Without robust detection, moderation, and removal of false narratives, misinformation will continue to fuel unrest unchecked,” the NPCC added.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Nia Williams)
