UK rioters toss chairs, bricks at police
Rioters in the U.K. tossed chairs, bricks and other objects at police outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, on Sunday. (AP)
U.K.-based Sky News cut off its live feed after a group of masked men shouting profanities and "Free Palestine" interrupted its live report.
Sky News correspondent Becky Johnson was reporting on the unrest in Birmingham, England, where crowds of Muslim men were gathering Monday to "defend the streets" from the "far right," the outlet said. Riots have broken out in England after the shocking stabbing deaths of three girls last week fueled renewed anger over England's immigration policies.
As Johnson was speaking, a group of masked men approached the reporter on bikes and began shouting at her and her camera crew.
"Free Palestine," one man shouted with profanities at the camera.
RIOTS ERUPT IN UK AFTER STABBING SPREE FALSELY BLAMED ON ASYLUM SEEKER
Police officers face protesters during an anti-immigration demonstration outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, Sunday Aug. 4, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP) (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
"Apologies for the language but a sense of the anger, I think you can hear there," Johnson reacted.
As more masked men approach the camera, Sky News abruptly cut off the live feed.
"Casey, I think — Becky, I apologize, we need to leave you there, Becky," flustered Sky News presenter Mark Austin reacted back in the studio. "We'll have security there. I apologize once again for the language there."
A clip of the news segment went viral after it was shared by several accounts on X.
On its live blog, Sky News posted an update about the "tense situation" that unfolded on-air.
Sky News reported that Johnson had just spoken with a Muslim community leader who helped gather over 1,000 Muslim men on the streets of Birmingham that day to "protect" and "defend their community" as well as "calm the anger" over riots against migrants over the past few days.
As she was speaking, Sky News said the reporter was "forced off-air after some [men] come over on bikes and start shouting and swearing at the camera."
"The media are clearly not very welcome here," Johnson reportedly said of the incident.
Citizens of the normally 'quiet' town of Southport have gone into an uproar against police after at least three girls were killed in a mass stabbing yesterday. (Richard McCarthy/PA via AP)
Sky News did not respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Riots have broken out across England in recent days over false rumors spread online that an asylum seeker was responsible for a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that left three girls dead and others wounded.
Dozens of police officers have been hospitalized for injuries in the past six days after being struck with bricks, bottles, chairs and large wooden posts.
On Sunday, angry mobs attacked two hotels used to house asylum seekers, breaking windows and lighting fires before police dispersed the crowds and residents were evacuated.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said that a "standing army" of specialist police would be set up to deal with rioting and that the justice system would be ramped up to deal with hundreds of arrests after violent disorder rocked cities across the nation over the past week.
"Whatever the apparent motivation, this is not protest, it is pure violence, and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities," Starmer said on Monday. "The full force of law will be visited on all those who are identified as having taken part."
Fox News' Bradford Betz and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.