The Canadian government recommended on Tuesday that residents in the United Kingdom exercise caution when visiting the UK due to ongoing demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and police.

The government wrote on its official travel page regarding the UK: "Demonstrations occur regularly. Even peaceful protests can turn violent at any time. Previous violent clashes between protesters and security forces have led to assaults, rioting, looting, and vandalism. Protests can escalate quickly and may disrupt traffic and public transportation."

The government advised Canadians as follows:

Avoid areas where demonstrations, protests, and large gatherings are taking place

Exercise caution

Expect an increased presence of security forces in areas where demonstrations are occurring

Follow the instructions of local authorities

Monitor local media for information about ongoing demonstrations

Violence erupted between protesters and police following a knife attack that left three girls aged between six and nine dead on July 29 in Southport, a coastal town north of Liverpool. Eight other children and two adults were injured.

The police arrested a 17-year-old suspect. Rumors that the suspect was an asylum seeker or a Muslim immigrant spread quickly on social media, but were later debunked.

The next day, as people gathered to console each other and lay flowers at the site, hundreds of protesters attacked a local mosque with bricks, bottles, and stones. The police stated that the rioters "are believed to be supporters of the English Defence League," a far-right group that has organized anti-Muslim protests since 2009.

Since then, hundreds of protesters have been arrested, and the UK government has vowed that the rioters "will feel the full force of the law" after throwing bricks and other projectiles at the police, looting shops, and attacking hotels used to house asylum seekers.