Several countries, including Canada and Australia, are cautioning their citizens about travel to the United Kingdom due to ongoing riots throughout the country. The riots sparked up just over a week ago following the fatal stabbing of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event in Southport in northwest England. The suspect was falsely accused of being an Islamic asylum-seeker, according to BBC, and supporters of the far-right English Defence League and other similar organizations began attacks on mosques and hotels housing other asylum-seekers.
Now, Canada, Australia and a slew of other countries have warned travelers about visiting the U.K. due to riots. Al Jazeera, which is tracking the locations of the riots, reports that they are taking place in over 25 cities across the U.K., including Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southport. In many locations the rioters are being met by counter-protesters—in some cases outnumbering them by thousands. On Wednesday, threats of violence by the far-right rioters did not materialize due the police presence and counter-protesters, Reuters reports.
The U.S. State Department has not updated its Level 2 advisory to the U.K. in light of the riots, with its current advisory warning only of terrorism. That said, it has posted a worldwide caution alert to the "demonstrations."
"Demonstrations in portions of some cities of the U.K. are ongoing and, in some instances, have resulted in violence or property damage," the State Department said. "U.S. citizens are encouraged to avoid areas of demonstrations and to always exercise caution within the vicinity of demonstrations or if caught in a demonstration. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate. Do not attempt to drive or walk through a demonstration. Road closures and transportation services may be impacted over the weekend, U.S. citizens are encouraged to monitor local transportation information and coordinate travel routes accordingly."
What You Need to Know About Travel to the U.K.
When asked for a comment, a spokesperson for VisitBritain told Travel Agent: “Britain is open for business, demand for travel to Britain remains strong and we continue to welcome many millions of visitors from all over the world including from the United States. We are working closely with our overseas teams to monitor travel sentiment across our markets and to ensure our trade partners have the latest information available, as necessary.”
VisitBritain says that museums, theaters, restaurants, attractions and shops are open as usual and airports, ports and public transport are operating normal services. Visitors, however, may notice an increased police presence on the streets this week in some areas. VisitBritain adds that if you are in the U.K. that you follow the latest updates and guidance provided by local authorities.
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