Stones and beer cans were thrown in the air. And when the police tried to disperse the agitated crowd, some activists directed fire extinguishers at them.
Hundreds of right-wing extremist demonstrators clashed with police outside a mosque in Sunderland, just outside Newcastle in northeastern England, late on Friday. Three police officers were injured, two of them so seriously that they had to be hospitalized. Eight people were arrested in connection with the unrest.
Another Building
Earlier, there were also reports that the police station in Sunderland was on fire, but according to The Guardian, it was the building next door that was burning.
"During the evening, these police officers were met with serious and uninterrupted levels of violence, which is deeply regrettable," says Police Chief Helena Barron in a statement.
Riots broke out in several cities in the UK this week after three girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport on Monday.
The violent riots were fueled by false rumors that the 17-year-old man who is being held on suspicion of the crime was seeking asylum in the country.
Enhanced Security
The British police say they are prepared for further right-wing extremist demonstrations and announce that security will be tightened around the country's mosques.
About thirty demonstrations are planned in several cities, mainly in northern England, over the weekend, according to reports in British media.
The police have the government's full support to take the most robust possible measures, says Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in response to the unrest.
They do not represent Britain, she added about the perpetrators of violence.
