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UN human rights chief ‘appalled’ by violence in United Kingdom

By Thomson Reuters Jun 11, 2026 | 8:07 AM

GENEVA, June 11 (Reuters) – The United Nations human rights chief said on ​Thursday he was ‌appalled by violence erupting in different parts of the United Kingdom in recent days.

On ‌Tuesday ​rioters in ⁠Northern Ireland targeted ⁠ethnic minorities and foreign residents by torching homes and vehicles following a ​knife attack for which a Sudanese man ⁠has been charged ⁠with attempted murder. ​On Wednesday police deployed water cannon ​to tackle rioters for a ‌second night.

Earlier in June, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned violent ⁠protests over the case of an 18-year-old who was handcuffed ⁠as ‌he lay dying after ⁠his killer falsely ​alleged ‌a racist attack, ​and said ⁠it was “unforgivable” to exploit it to stir tensions.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Linda Pasquini, ​Alexandra Hudson)