Malaysia warns citizens not to travel to UK because of violent race riots
Malaysia has become the first country to issue a warning over travel to the United Kingdom, as violent anti-migrant riots wreak havoc across the country.
The country's ministry of foreign affairs also asked Malaysian citizens in the UK to register their presence with their country's High Commission in London.
"Malaysians residing in or travelling to the United Kingdom are urged to stay away from protest areas, remain vigilant and follow the latest updates and guidance provided by local authorities," a notice by the ministry said on Sunday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday, bringing ministers and police together to discuss plans to stop the violence one week after the tragic murders of three young girls in Southport during a dance class.
The attack was falsely attributed to a Muslim migrant, prompting violent riots by far-right hooligans who clashed with police and attacked buildings believed to be housing refugees.
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Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old British citizen born to Christian Rwandan parents, has been charged with the murders.
Starmer said the violence has been the worst the country has seen in 13 years, warning rioters they would “regret” taking part in the disorder. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that “there will be a reckoning”.
On Sunday, footage broadcast by the BBC showed scores of rioters forcing their way into the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, which houses asylum seekers, after smashing windows and setting a bin outside the building on fire.
At least one police officer was wounded in the attacks as the mob, some draped in England flags, hurled bricks, beer bottles and other projectiles at officers.
'Unchecked Islamophobia'
Rioters could be heard on numerous live streams hosted on TikTok chanting the name of far-right activist Tommy Robinson as they threw projectiles at police officers in riot gear.
Robinson is currently staying at a resort in Cyprus.
Late on Sunday, riot police were deployed to Middlesbrough as groups of angry men took to the streets. In Bolton, authorities issued dispersal notices granting officers extra powers to deal with anti-social behaviour.
Meanwhile, groups of of white men and women could be heard in Bolton chanting “Paki-wannabe” and “Paki” on numerous TikTok livestreams at the police as they attempted to disperse them.
At least 90 people were arrested on Saturday during riots in major cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Hull.
A mob in Liverpool torched a library, leaving part of the building in ruins. Videos from Hull appeared to show an Asian man being attacked by a mob of white men blaming Muslims and immigrants for the stabbing attack in Southport.
On Saturday, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said hundreds of mosques were toughening their security after far-right mobs "terrorised Muslim communities", triggering "anxiety and fear".
"What we saw on the streets of Britain [is] the consequence of unchecked Islamophobia: acceptable, potent, and very real in our society today," Zara Mohammed, the secretary general of the MCB, said in the statement.
"The government is right to speak out against the extremism witnessed on our streets, but it has been silent on the Islamophobia fuelling that extremism."
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