Police had beer barrels and stones thrown at them in Sunderland on Friday as they tried to contain several hundred protesters on another night of disorder.
The demonstrators, some of whom wore balaclavas, hurled the objects in a standoff outside a mosque on St Mark’s Road being protected by officers.
An overturned car was set on fire and rioters set off fire extinguishers against officers. Northumbria police advised members of the public to avoid Sunderland city centre due to the “ongoing disorder”.
The protest, promoted by far-right activists on social media, began at the newly refurbished Keel Square. Social media footage showed young men throwing stones at the police and shouting “whose streets, our streets” as well as Islamophobic chants.
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The protest was among several planned across the UK this weekend after the knife attack in Southport on Monday, fuelled by misinformation on social media about the background and religion of the 17-year-old suspect.
Extra prosecutors have been called in to work this weekend as police forces around the country brace for further disorder.
Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: “We take the recent incidents of violent disorder extremely seriously and we are ready to respond rapidly if there is a fresh outbreak.
“We have deployed dozens of extra prosecutors who are working round the clock this weekend, supporting the police, and ready to make immediate charging decisions so that justice is swiftly delivered.”
North East mayor Kim McGuinness wrote on X: “I’m appalled by the scenes from Sunderland. Make no mistake, if your response to tragedy is to use it to commit violence, to abuse others, attack the police and damage property you stand for nothing except thuggery. It’s not protest.
“It’s crime and disorder. You don’t speak for Sunderland. You don’t speak for this region. Those grieving in Southport will take no comfort from this.
“We believe that the community here in Southport, and the country as a whole, must now come together to challenge hatred based on people’s identities. In particular, the rising levels of Islamophobia must not be allowed to fester in our society.”
A crowd of about 200 anti-racist protesters gathered outside the Abdullah Quilliam mosque in Liverpool on Friday evening after rumours of a far-right protest there. Later a small scuffle broke out between the groups. – Guardian