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Mosques across the country are strengthening their security measures ahead of planned far-right protests – as one Muslim chaplain pledges to hand out burgers and chips to demonstrators in a gesture of peace.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said hundreds of mosques are taking protective measures, such as checking windows and doors and bringing in extra security staff, ahead of the weekend.
Disorder by the far-right first sprang up in Southport after the killing of three children in an attack during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday. Misinformation online led to violent scenes outside a mosque.
More than 30 protests are planned between Friday and Sunday across Britain and Northern Ireland.
Anti-fascist charity Hope not Hate said all the protests are anti-multiculturalism, anti-Muslim and anti-government, with two mosques named as targets. Nine anti-racism counter-protests are also being planned.
A leader at one Liverpool mosque, Adam Kelwick, has pledged to greet any protesters with free food and welcome them in.
Mr Kelwick, who worships at Abdullah Quilliam, Britain’s oldest mosque, said any protesters who wished to “genuinely engage with us” would be welcomed in to “discuss with us issues which all of us face in society today”.
He said in a video on social media that the mosque would provide free cold drinks, burgers and chips to anyone who turned up on Friday evening.
In a plea to protesters, he said: “Bring your concerns, let’s have a discussion about the issues affecting our communities and work together to solve them. Let’s get rid of ignorance. Let’s get rid of hatred and let’s sit down together.”
Secretary-general Zara Mohammed of the MCB said that the group had put together a plan in which mosques would hire paid security staff because of “deep-seated anxiety” and “palpable fear” among communities.
She said mosques talked of receiving threats on the phone about “targeted attacks” during a mosque security community briefing on Thursday.
Expanding on the security plan, she added: “So it’s around protective measures: ensuring that the doors and windows are secure, carrying out a risk assessment, making sure CCTV cameras are working, and having some paid security staff on site.”
She stressed the need for Muslim communities to have a “direct relationship” with local police forces during the disorder.
Ms Mohammed said: “We go by what we’ve seen already and from what online posters are saying, but it sounds like far-right thugs and mobs are going to seek to intimidate congregations and mosques.
“In Southport they were pelting stones and glass bottles, shouting Islamophobic slurs and abuse.
“So it’s likely that we may again see groups of men and thugs coming together outside of the mosques to intimidate.”
Activists at Stand Up to Racism have said that Muslims, migrants and people of colour are “all bracing for a weekend of far-right activity”.
Co-convenor Weyman Bennett said: “We are witnessing an unprecedented amount of far-right demos being called, which will all bring racist thugs onto our streets to threaten our communities and multicultural Britain.”
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the riots were “not protest” and “not legitimate” as he vowed not to permit a “breakdown of law and order”.
