Wildfires caused apocalyptic scenes on Thursday night as they engulfed homes on the hottest day of the year.

Temperatures soared to a blistering 38.1C as firefighters battled several infernos across the country. 

Residents were forced to flee – with some told to dampen the outside of their properties first – as blazes ravaging swathes of grassland spread to homes.

A train derailment in Sussex that left two people seriously injured may also have been a result of the scorching summer.

A major incident was declared as six houses were destroyed by a rapidly spreading wildfire in Stourbridge – one of several blazes that left West Midlands Fire Service facing ‘extreme levels of demand’.

Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled. A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’ 

A burnt-out property on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge, reveals the destructive extent of the wildfire

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Simon Tuhill, chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service, said his team had dealt with ‘thousands’ of 999 calls.

Local councillor Andrew Tromans said: ‘The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the effects of the blaze were ‘awful’ and his ‘thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have been injured or forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who have been taken to hospital’.

He added that he was in touch with local leaders, like the mayor of West Midlands, Richard Parker, and ‘will be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response’.

Around 100 firefighters were tackling the inferno which broke out near Stourbridge golf course at noon, obliterating 40 acres of land. Golfers are said to have fled in their carts.

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine. ‘When the fire brigade finally came, the whole lot was just engulfed in flames, including the fire truck,’ Michael Morgan said. 

‘The flames just came straight through the bushes and covered the fire truck in flames. It just engulfed it.’

Resident Chris Dunnington said black smoke swept over homes from nearby fields.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field

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Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled

‘Then we saw the fire coming on to the driveways and fences of the first house,’ he added.

‘The wind picked up so strong so it was just fuelling the flames. It was just the perfect disaster.’

Jane Baxter, who was among those evacuated, said: ‘We could see the flames above the rooftops of the houses – that was how high the flames were’. 

When a fire truck ran out of water, residents tried to beat back flames in nearby woodland themselves. 

At the same time, less than 30 miles away, another major incident was declared due to a large fire ripping through Salford Priors in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘There is a large emergency presence in the area and we continue to advise residents nearby to close all doors and windows.’ The service reported ‘several field fires around Bidford-on-Avon and Salford Priors’.

‘We have individuals who are being treated for smoke inhalation. Efforts are being focused on preventing risk to life,’ it said. 

Farmers were supporting the fire service by bringing bowsers filled with water to the scene.

Elsewhere in the region, homes in Castle Vale, Birmingham, were badly damaged by a fire, with one woman reported to have suffered serious injuries.

Images from the scene show two bungalows completely gutted by fire. Part of the roof of one of the homes appeared to have caved in.

The M6 northbound near Birmingham was temporarily shut between Junctions 5 and 6 due to thick smoke billowing across the carriageway. 

There were also fires in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, where a small number of homes have been evacuated, according to Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, and reports came in on Thursday night of houses on fire in Maypole, south Birmingham.

Several homes can be seen up in flames, with clouds of black smoke billowing from the properties as part of a ‘major incident’ in Stourbridge

Dozens of firefighters tackled the devastating blaze in the residential area, which is situated next to a golf course in Stourbridge

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine

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Several fires were also reported in Worcestershire including in Pershore where half a dozen homes were thought to have been affected. 

One witness said the blaze spread through as many as six homes like a ‘domino effect’.

‘I saw a lot of smoke and before the fire service arrived there was a fire in what looked like somebody’s back garden,’ James Lees said. 

‘All of a sudden a big puff of smoke came from a house, probably about four doors down from where it originally began.

‘It was big black, billowing smoke and then it has kind of just spread across the houses like a domino effect. Now there’s probably about five or six houses that are just covered in smoke – you can see flames at the front and out at the back.’ 

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said 200 properties had been left without power and one person had suffered smoke inhalation.

A spokesman added: ‘A number of homes have been damaged and 30 properties in the area have been evacuated.’ 

Another major incident was declared in Norfolk after the county was hit by a series of infernos.

Crews from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 16 emergencies on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath which saw local roads closed for some time.

It came after five homes were destroyed in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Wednesday when a fire on a field spread. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The blazes erupted as a fifth heatwave gripped the country, with the UK experiencing its hottest day of the year so far and the fifth hottest day on record.

The mercury peaked at 38.1C (100.5F) at Kew Gardens in west London, provisionally surpassing the 38C recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26.

A rare amber extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office was in place until Thursday night covering the Midlands and south-east of England.

It comes after the Fire Brigade Union this week warned the UK faces a shortage of firefighters to combat wildfires.

Union leader Steve Wright said 5,000 more firefighters were needed to prevent lives from being put at risk.

The UK has already seen more than 1,000 wildfires this year, making it the worst year on record.

The aircraft, G-ILDA, is a restored Supermarine Spitfire with the military serial number SM520 and was photographed by several enthusiasts as it flew over the region, before landing back at Teesside International Airport.

The Spitfire in the air above the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

Over the last few days, the Spitfire has been spotted over the region’s skies, and is believed to be using Teesside Airport as a base.

Members of the Northern Echo Camera Club were among those to capture the distinctive aircraft, with pictures shared by Jon Irwin and Mike Kilo Bravo prompting excitement from people who were surprised to see the famous fighter overhead.

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: JON IRWIN/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

SM520 dates back to 1944 and was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory during the final stages of the Second World War.

Records show it was delivered to the RAF in November that year before later being transferred to the South African Air Force in 1948.

The Spitfire in the air above the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The Spitfire over the North East (Image: Mike Kilo Bravo/CAMERA CLUB)

The aircraft has since been restored and converted into a two-seat Spitfire, allowing it to be used for passenger flight experiences. It now flies under the civilian registration G-ILDA.

Its appearance over the North East was particularly fitting given the region’s long association with wartime planes.

Teesside International Airport began life as RAF Middleton St George during the Second World War and has retained links to its military past through commemorative events and appearances by historic aircraft.

Despite the Spitfire becoming more and more rare, flight paths for the iconic plane remain, with events celebrating the 80th and 90th years of the Spitfire having seen Spitfires flying over the North East over the last few decades.

The Scottish Government has sparked a “TikTok gold rush” as SNP ministers step up their use of social media influencers to promote campaigns online.

They include a former TV star as well as regular family bloggers who have built huge followings on Instagram and YouTube thanks to their accessible brand of content.

A PR industry figure said civil servants were increasingly scrambling “for the attention of young and apathetic voters” as the public is turned off by politicians who share “pre-rehearsed soundbites”.

A Freedom of Information request found 40 social media influencers have been paid by the Scottish Government in the first half of 2026 – more than in 2024 and 2025 combined.

In 2024, the Scottish Government hired 12 influencers, before rising to 17 influencers hired in 2025.

Influencers to appear on recent Scottish Government-produced content include Eilidh Wells, who regularly shares videos about family life with her 35,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Wells was filmed driving to Loch Lomond for a family day out to promote the “benefits of electric vehicles”.

Other content creators appearing on the Government’s social media channels are the Olive Tree Family, who share their experience of bringing up two young sons.

They were also filmed on a trip to Loch Lomond – but this time on the bus, in a clip to promote the use of public transport.

Celebrities like TV personality Gail Porter have also joined Scottish Government campaigns.

Porter was part of a campaign launch video last year for mental health, where she sat down at Hampden Park with a group including digital creator Howey Ejegi, former professional footballer Zander Murray, and founder of Street Soccer Scotland, David Duke, to discuss their personal experiences.

Sam Fisk, associate director at Tangerine, an independent PR firm, said: “This year marked the start of a TikTok gold rush in Holyrood as Scottish Government departments scramble for the attention of young and apathetic voters.

“The public are craving authentic voices and increasingly turning off from watching government officials trumpet out pre-rehearsed political soundbites.

“The Scottish Government shouldn’t be sneered at for their use of influencers. This is a smart shift given the fall in TV viewership, however, the challenge is now delivering genuinely high-quality content. It won’t be easy to stop a Gen Z scrolling for a government advert.

“We know Gen-Z are far more likely to stop scrolling for an influencer video compared to a government body posting. There is no end in sight for this new era of communications.”

The Scottish Government has refused to reveal how much it pays individual influencers, citing an FOI exemption for “commercially-sensitive information”. Government marketing activity is commissioned through its Marketing and Media Services Frameworks.

In an FOI response, the Scottish Government said it “does not directly pay individuals or media organisations. Payment is made from the appointed Scottish Government media or marketing agency to the recipient.”

The Record previously revealed how the Scottish Government halted all advertising spending on Twitter, now known as X, shortly after Humza Yousaf became first minister in 2023.

The former SNP MSP has clashed on several occasions with Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, and branded him “one of the most dangerous men on the planet”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “All governments have a responsibility to inform the public of key services and policies. As social media use grows it is important that the way we engage with the public responds accordingly.

“Working with influencers ensures we can reach audiences traditional channels cannot reach, which is why work with influencers is growing in governments across the UK.”

Among those celebrating was Sofia Omar, who achieved Distinction, Distinction, Distinction** and will study podiatry at the University of Salford.

The school’s Applied Science students achieved an average grade of Distinction*, the highest results ever recorded for the qualification at UCS Sixth Form, while engineering students also delivered the strongest results in the history of the sixth form.

The impressive outcomes continue a successful period for the school, which is on course to achieve a third consecutive year in which every student progresses into a positive destination, including university, higher and degree apprenticeships, employment, or further training.

Stephanie Ossai achieved an outstanding triple Distinction* and has secured a healthcare assistant apprenticeship with Brighter Futures, while Zertashia Mir gained Distinction, Distinction, Distinction* and will begin a Level Three Dental Nurse Apprenticeship with Rodericks Dental in Farnworth.

Another student marking a significant personal achievement was Raghda Abdulrahman, who achieved a Distinction and two Distinctions in Applied Science* and will study Nursing at the University of Salford from September.

Raghda joined UCS Sixth Form in 2024 after moving to the UK the previous year and overcoming significant disruption before settling in Bolton.

Her results represent the culmination of determination and hard work as she prepares to embark on a career in healthcare.

Niall Muncaster, Head of Sixth Form at UCS, praised the achievements of students and highlighted the range of progression routes secured by this year’s cohort.

He said: “We are incredibly proud of our students and the results they have achieved today.

“What makes these results particularly special is the range of destinations our students are now moving on to.

“Some are heading to university, others are taking higher and degree apprenticeships, and others are moving directly into employment.

“UCS has always believed that there should be different routes to success, and our job is to make sure every student has the qualifications, skills, and confidence they need to take their next step.”

Headteacher Ian Barry said the results showed that technical and vocational pathways can be just as effective as traditional academic routes in preparing young people for successful futures.

“Our students’ superb results prove that the technical and vocational routes work perfectly for many students.

“There are many different routes to success and these routes provide the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to progress into higher education, apprenticeships, skilled employment, and rewarding careers.

“This is strongly aligned with the direction of travel championed by Andy Burnham.

“His vision for a system that gives every person a clear line of sight to a good career, connects education with employers, and values technical skills alongside achievement is one that we wholeheartedly support.”

Students at UCS Bolton today were able to celebrate their success but also the beginning of exciting new chapters as they take their next steps towards careers in healthcare, science, engineering, and other growing sectors.

The site in question is on John Street in Sunderland city centre, directly opposite the former Joplings building.

Ashbrookes Design and Build Ltd has applied to repurpose the existing building and add two extra floors.

The project has been in development for several years and was previously approved by Sunderland City Council’s planning and highways committee in April 2025.

Plans then included 84 single-occupancy student studios, an increase from the original 78.

However, approval was conditional on completing a legal agreement, which was not finalised before the council’s deadline.

As a result, the application was refused.

Despite this setback, the developer confirmed their commitment to the scheme and said they would resubmit the plans with the required legal documentation.

New proposals submitted last month could see the project revived.

The design of the proposed new student accommodation (Image: LDRS)

CGI images show the development will retain the ground-floor commercial unit currently occupied by Ashbrookes.

A design and access statement details the layout, including six ground-floor studios, a communal lounge, office space, refuse and bike storage, laundry facilities, and a plant room.

The first floor would house 22 studios, a gym, an additional lounge, and storage areas.

A further 56 studios would be spread across the proposed second and third floors.

The applicant believes the design supports student wellbeing.

The applicant said: “The group living concept, in which the residents have access to shared lounges etc, promotes a sense of community, shared ownership and successful bonding between the students.”

Access for service vehicles, including refuse collection and student arrivals, would use the existing service yard on St Thomas Street.

The developer’s commitment to the project and experience with similar schemes are highlighted in the planning documents.

A final decision will be made following a public consultation.

By SAM MERRIMAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 00:35 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 04:38 BST, 14 August 2026

Millions of people have been told their water bills will be hiked – in the midst of mass hosepipe bans and with three quarters of the country in drought.

Andy Burnham‘s vow to bring down the cost of living was in tatters yesterday after the water regulator announced bills will rise again for more than 30million people.

Ofwat was branded ‘toothless’ after it granted five water suppliers permission to raise bills above previously agreed levels – despite them losing billions of litres to leaks.

The Prime Minister said he was ‘angry’ at water companies using customers ‘as a blank cheque’ but has been challenged over what he is going to do about it.

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Scandal-hit Thames Water was granted permission to hike bills again between 2027 and 2030, along with Southern Water, South East Water, Severn Trent and Wessex Water.

Three have imposed hosepipe bans on more than 20million people this summer.

Ofwat said it had given suppliers the provisional go-ahead for the unexpected hike in bills to fund £3.4billion-worth of new projects, including infrastructure for housing and data centres.

But the water regulator has already allowed suppliers to hike bills by 36 per cent between 2025 and 2030, with eye-watering increases last year and another 5.4 per cent on average bills from April.

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Andy Burnham’s vow to bring down the cost of living is in tatters yesterday after the water regulator announced bills will rise again

Water bills are set to surge again as Britain endured its fifth heatwave of the year and Howden reservoir in Derbyshire looked parched

The climb will spark further anger at a time when the water industry is under fire for pouring sewage into Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas and losing billions of litres of water through faulty pipes.

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The leaks and sewage flows have been blamed on a sustained under-investment in water infrastructure – while industry fat cats have handed themselves millions in bonuses and dividends.

Tory environment spokesman Victoria Atkins last night called on the Prime Minister to set out a ‘credible, costed plan’ for Britain’s water industry rather than simply offering ‘more sympathy’.

And warning any move from Mr Burnham to nationalise the sector would see bills rise further, she added: ‘Labour should set out its plans clearly so bill payers know what they are being asked to pay for and what to expect in return.’

Mr Burnham – who has vowed to lead a ‘cost of living government’ – took aim at Ofwat’s decision and said customers ‘cannot be treated as a blank cheque’.

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‘I understand why people are angry – I am too,’ the Prime Minister said.

‘The truth is customers have been asked to pay more for years, yet serious pollution incidents are at record levels and the pipes are still leaking.

‘Customers cannot be treated as a blank cheque. Where water companies seek to pass unnecessary costs on to households, they will be challenged.’

Some 13 water companies applied to increase bills to fund investment of £4.3billion, and Ofwat announced yesterday it had provisionally allowed five to do so for £3.4billion of new projects.

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The 2.7 million people supplied by Southern Water will see bills rise by £80 over the next two years.

Southern – which lost about 37 billion litres of water through leaks last year – has the most expensive bills, with customers paying an average of £759 a year after an 8 per cent rise this year.

A sunbather lay on the brown grass in London’s Hyde Park as water bosses asked the Government for permission to increase the bills of 30million people

Steve Buck, the new chief financial officer of debt-ridden Thames Water, was paid a £1million signing-on fee

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Thames Water – which Mr Burnham is expected to put into special administration to stave off its collapse as it sinks under £20billion in debt – was also allowed to increase bills for its 16 million customers, as was Severn Trent, which services some 8 million.

Thames Water caused fresh outrage this week after it emerged it had paid a £1million signing-on fee to its new chief financial officer, Steve Buck.

Meanwhile the 1.4 million people supplied by Wessex Water will see bills rise by £11 over the next two years, while the 2.3 million supplied by South East Water will see a £1 rise.

Ofwat will consult on the proposed rises until September 24, with a verdict due in December.

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A spokesman said: ‘We will track performance to ensure companies are delivering the expected improvements for customers and the environment. If they don’t, expenditure can be clawed back.’

Southern Water and Wessex Water both said they would support customers struggling to pay. Severn Trent and South East Water said they would be reviewing the proposals.

Bolton College students celebrate their A-level results day (Image: UCS Bolton)

Students gathered on the Deane Road campus to celebrate with friends, family, and staff as their hard work finally paid off and they learned of their next academic steps.

Bolton College students celebrate their A-level results day (Image: UCS Bolton)

Smiles, tears and hugs marked a memorable morning as students discovered they had secured places at universities, apprenticeships and employment opportunities across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Bolton College Students celebrate their A-level results day (Image: UCS Bolton)

A-level results day was celebrated throughout the day with a live DJ, mocktails, cupcakes and a photo booth.

Bolton College students celebrate their A-level results day (Image: UCS Bolton)

For many students, the day marked the end of two years of dedication and the beginning of exciting new opportunities as they prepare to take their next steps into higher education, professional training and the workplace.

Federal agents launched a sweeping undercover surveillance operation earlier this year targeting progressive organizations, labor unions and other groups protesting the immigration crackdown then raging through Minneapolis, according to court documents filed Thursday.

The program, dubbed Operation Puppet Master, was aimed at what officials called a network of conspirators helping “violent opportunists and agitators.” The documents were filed in a case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors in June with impeding the crackdown, accusing them of conspiring against the federal government through a range of actions, from throwing ice chunks to setting up blockades.

The government documents were released Thursday in connection with a motion from a defense lawyer in the case, Kevin Riach, who requested that officials disclose more material collected during the investigations.

The reality, according to government documents revealed in court motions, was Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrating meetings in churches, schools and parks that were often simply discussions of constitutionally protected protests.

A statement from the department said Homeland Security Investigations doesn’t comment on the existence or status of on-going investigations or investigative methods. The statement referred questions to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, which didn’t immediately respond to an after-hours email from The Associated Press.

Puppet Master, and a later operation called Project Whipple Shield, were a “broad and irrational investigation” driven by politics and not criminal conduct, Riach said in a motion filed Thursday.

Take, for example, a Jan. 31 meeting in a Minneapolis library, when a Homeland Security report says an undercover officer identified as “UCA 9833” listened as supporters of a progressive climate group, the Sunrise Movement, discussed sit-ins, de-escalation tactics and “having a police liaison and safety marshal present during events.”

“During the Action meeting, it was made clear that the Sunrise Movement organization focused on ‘peaceful’ protests,” the agent reported.

Dozens of pages of documents describe agents secretly infiltrating meetings, monitoring activist chat groups and using license plate numbers to compile names of people who attended gatherings.

A slide created by Homeland Security’s investigative branch titled “The Conspiracy” shows 18 organizations, from a small Minneapolis bicycle repair collective to the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor groups in the U.S.

The government also obtained years of certain financial records for groups ranging from the Sunrise Movement to major unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the Communications Workers of America.

“You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time,” warned a DHS request to FedWire, a money transfer system operated by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

“It’s very disturbing,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Over time, it could deter people from expressing their beliefs, he said.

Many people don’t want to live in a world where expressing their beliefs gives federal agencies the right to investigate them, he said.

“It’s that fear of that creeping police state,” he said.

Groups that the government investigated were furious at the news.

“Our union has become the latest target of a corrupt administration that weaponizes the legal process against law-abiding Americans exercising our Constitutional rights,” CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said in a statement. “We will not be intimidated, and we will not be silenced.”

The AP News Guild, the union that represents many Associated Press employees, is part of the CWA.

On Thursday, a coalition of Minneapolis-area civil society groups defended the protests and criticized the investigations.

The government is “lashing out desperately in hopes of intimidating people and organizations that have shown the power of communities acting together,” said a statement distributed by Unidos MN, a local human rights group.

DHS deployed about 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for roughly three months starting late last year in what the department called its “ largest immigration enforcement operation ever.” It led to thousands of arrests, angry mass protests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the 15 were part of two groups that he characterized as “antifa,” an umbrella term for a diffuse movement of militant left-wing activists.

Defense attorney Riach said at the time that his client, Isaac Sant, had no affiliation with antifa, which he called “a boogeyman invented by the far-right.”

___

Kelleher reported from Honolulu.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal agents launched a sweeping undercover surveillance operation earlier this year targeting progressive organizations, labor unions and other groups protesting the immigration crackdown then raging through Minneapolis, according to court documents filed Thursday.

The program, dubbed Operation Puppet Master, was aimed at what officials called a network of conspirators helping “violent opportunists and agitators.” The documents were filed in a case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors in June with impeding the crackdown, accusing them of conspiring against the federal government through a range of actions, from throwing ice chunks to setting up blockades.

The government documents were released Thursday in connection with a motion from a defense lawyer in the case, Kevin Riach, who requested that officials disclose more material collected during the investigations.

The reality, according to government documents revealed in court motions, was Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrating meetings in churches, schools and parks that were often simply discussions of constitutionally protected protests.

A statement from the department said Homeland Security Investigations doesn’t comment on the existence or status of on-going investigations or investigative methods. The statement referred questions to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, which didn’t immediately respond to an after-hours email from The Associated Press.

Puppet Master, and a later operation called Project Whipple Shield, were a “broad and irrational investigation” driven by politics and not criminal conduct, Riach said in a motion filed Thursday.

Take, for example, a Jan. 31 meeting in a Minneapolis library, when a Homeland Security report says an undercover officer identified as “UCA 9833” listened as supporters of a progressive climate group, the Sunrise Movement, discussed sit-ins, de-escalation tactics and “having a police liaison and safety marshal present during events.”

“During the Action meeting, it was made clear that the Sunrise Movement organization focused on ‘peaceful’ protests,” the agent reported.

Dozens of pages of documents describe agents secretly infiltrating meetings, monitoring activist chat groups and using license plate numbers to compile names of people who attended gatherings.

DHS deployed about 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for roughly three months starting late last year in what the department called its “ largest immigration enforcement operation ever.” It led to thousands of arrests, angry mass protests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the 15 were part of two groups that he characterized as “antifa,” an umbrella term for a diffuse movement of militant left-wing activists.

Defense attorney Riach said at the time that his client, Isaac Sant, had no affiliation with antifa, which he called “a boogeyman invented by the far-right.”

___

Kelleher reported from Honolulu.