Riots Flare in Another UK City as Police Brace for Weekend Turmoil

AFP/APP
London: Rioting erupted Friday evening in Sunderland, northeast England, where police reported that officers faced “serious and sustained levels of violence.” This unrest is the latest linked to a mass stabbing earlier this week that killed three young girls.
Eight people were arrested, and three officers required hospital treatment following hours of “utterly deplorable” disturbances, according to Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Helena Barron. Two officers remained in hospital early Saturday, she added.
Footage broadcast by the BBC showed a mob of several hundred rampaging through Sunderland’s city center, attacking police and setting fire to at least one car and a building next to a police office. Other images shared on social media depicted balaclava-clad youths throwing bricks and other missiles, with fireworks and flares being let off.
“The shocking scenes we have witnessed in Sunderland this evening are completely unacceptable,” Barron said, adding that the “disorder, violence, and damage” seen “will not be tolerated.”