The riots began on 30 July when a crowd, some of whom police believed to be supporters of the
English Defence League, gathered outside
Southport Mosque. The protesters wrongly believed the suspect in the mass stabbing was a Muslim immigrant, due to the spread of misinformation on social media platforms. They attacked police officers, threw objects at the mosque, and set a police vehicle on fire. The riot left over fifty officers injured, some seriously, three police dogs wounded, and multiple arrests were made. The unrest spread to other part of England in the following days. On 31 July, over 100 protesters were arrested in London and demonstrations occurred in
Manchester,
Hartlepool and
Aldershot. On 2 August, rioting took place in
Sunderland. A police station was set on fire, three police officers were injured, and several people arrested. On 3 August, far-right protesters again clashed with police in various locations, as well as with
anti-racist counter-protests.