Far-right protestors have caused chaos across the UK over the past few days, with several different groups involved.

Vandalism and violence has occurred, with cars and buildings burnt, projectiles thrown at mosques, police attacked and hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers broken into.

The disorder started in the wake of the killing of three girls at a dance studio in Southport on Monday, July 29.

Rumours spread that the attacker was a Muslim illegal immigrant, but a 17-year-old who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, called Axel Rudakubana, has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder.

A demonstration took place outside a mosque in Southport the following day and similar riots have occurred in other cities and towns across the UK since then.

The government has held an emergency Cobra meeting today (Monday, August 5) in response to the unrest.

What far-right groups have been involved in the riots?

According to the New York Times, several far-right groups have been at the riots or promoted them on social media.

Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism research group, said that the Neo-Nazi group British Movement shared information about protests on social media.

Additionally, David Miles, a prominent member of Patriotic Alternative, a fascist group, shared photographs of himself in Southport, according to the organisation.

Police have also said that members of the English Defence League (EDL) have been present at various riots across the UK in the last week.

People without connection to any far-right groups or people have also been in attendance, with it being spread across a wide range of organisations.

Speaking to BBC Verify, Joe Mulhall, head of research at Hope Not Hate, said: “There’s not been a single driving force.

“That reflects the nature of the contemporary far-right.

“There are large numbers of people engaging in activity online but there’s no membership structure or badge - there are not even formalised leaders, but they are directed by social media influencers.

“It’s like a school of fish rather than traditional organisation."

What is the EDL?

The EDL was founded in 2009 and formed around several football hooligan firms protesting the presence of an Islamist group in Luton, Sky News reports.

Tommy Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - co-founded the group and became its de facto leader.

Sky News adds: "Ideologically, it sat on the far right of British politics, rejecting the idea that Muslims can truly be English, while promoting Islam as a threat to European values and blaming a perceived decline in 'English culture' on high immigration rates.

"It distinguished itself from the traditional far-right by rejecting biological racism, antisemitism, and homophobia."

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The profile of the EDL rose dramatically between 2010 and 2013 but soon lost momentum partly due to infighting, and Robinson left the group that year.

These days, Hope Not Hate says it considers the organisation as non-existent, as does Robinson.

However, people at the riots have chanted in support of the EDL and Robinson, showing that Islamophobic sentiment is a big presence at these protests.