Southport latest: Police aware of calls to 'block roads with women and children' during Belfast march

Hundreds demonstrating in Manchester

In Manchester, the campaign group Stand up to Racism have said hundreds are demonstrating in the city to oppose far-right activists.

The counter-protests are taking place as disorder hit parts of England this week, including in London, Manchester, Southport and Hartlepool, after the Southport attack.

'We cannot let rioting thugs and extremists win'

We "cannot let rioting thugs and extremists win", shadow home secretary James Cleverly has said.

He also said the government needed to "back our police to do what is necessary to maintain law and order and stop any further escalation".

Yesterday, the country saw a third night of violence and there are fears of further unrest over the weekend.

Sky News has identified almost 30 protest planned for this weekend. 

Today, 24 protests are planned - 22 of which are planned by far-right activists, one an anti-racist protest and one is said to be a "peaceful vigil".

On Sunday, five protests are planned - four of which are believed to be planned by far-right activists and one which is understood to be a "peaceful vigil".

A former police chief constable has urged people considering attending protests across the UK to "think very, very carefully before you go" about whether they want to "cause further pain and heartache to those beautiful little girls' families".

Former chief constable of Northumbria Police Sue Sim said the police were "well-trained" in disorder and would act and arrest those involved.

"This incident is being used by people of an apparent far-right tendency to create mass disorder across this country all I can say is shame on you," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Those beautiful children's deaths should not allow such violent disorder to occur."

To those considering attending, she said: "Do you want to cause further pain and heartache to those beautiful little girls' families?"

Dame Priti Patel has called for parliament to be recalled in the wake of disorder and riots.

In a statement, the former home secretary said the events witnessed overnight in Sunderland were "totally unacceptable". 

"We should never excuse, or be apologists for, disorder whoever is responsible" she said.

"Violence and thuggery is always unacceptable. There is no qualification or exception. And politicians on all sides must be willing to stand up and say so."

She said the government was "now in danger of appearing to be swept away with events rather than maintaining control of them".

"Now is a moment for national reflection and solidarity - to pull back from the wave of violence we have seen, to call it out for what it is - without fear or favour - and for parliament to speak with one voice in condemnation. We either believe in the rule of law, or we do not," she added.

"That is why parliament must be recalled immediately."

Dozens more protests have been planned for this weekend in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

Campaign group Hope Not Hate has identified more than 30 protests planned across the UK over the next two days.

On Wednesday evening, more than 100 protesters were arrested on Whitehall, where bottles and cans were thrown at police, and violence broke out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and in Manchester outside the Holiday Inn on Oldham Road.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a new "national" response to the disorder linking police forces across the country.

And yesterday evening rioters battled police in the streets of Sunderland city centre following a planned protest linked to the Southport knife attack.

Northumbria Police have said in a post on X that its officers had been "subjected to serious violence", and added that three officers were taken to hospital.

Eight people have so far been arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary, the force added.

-SKY NEWS