Canada says travellers should exercise ‘high degree of caution’ in U.K. amid protests

OTTAWA – The Canadian government has updated its travel advisory for the United Kingdom amid a rash of ongoing demonstrations.

It says visitors should “exercise a high degree of caution” in the country and takes note of demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and police over the past week.

The travel advice cautions that even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time and can deteriorate quickly.

Violent disorder has been driven in part by misinformation on social media that whipped up anger over a stabbing rampage at a dance class that killed three girls and wounded 10 people.

False rumours spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker led to attacks on immigrants and mosques.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week that he was setting up a “standing army” of specialist police and ramping up the justice system to prepare hundreds of arrests.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press