Riots and unrest have erupted in several cities and towns across England following the murder of three young girls in a multiple stabbing at a Taylor Swift-inspired holiday club in Southport on Monday. More than 100 people were arrested in central London on Wednesday evening as officers clashed with protesters on Whitehall during a demonstration. Unrest also erupted in Hartlepool, resulting in eight arrests, several injured officers, and a police car set on fire. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer plans to meet with senior police leaders on Thursday to offer his “full backing.”
In the past 48 hours, demonstrators have clashed with police, particularly after violent disorder in the Merseyside town on Tuesday night. Some rioters have been heard shouting anti-immigration and Islamophobic slogans. Police attributed that due to the false information circulated on the internet, the violence broke out. It has become a familiar pattern of events: a violent, terrifying attack occurs, innocent people are killed, and social media ignites with unfounded—and often incorrect—accusations about the assailant’s identity and motivations. A false name associated with the 17-year-old accused of killing three young girls and injuring eight other children and two adults quickly spread across X, formerly known as Twitter.
False claims circulated that the attacker was a refugee who arrived in the UK by boat in 2023, along with unfounded speculation that he is Muslim. Some of these posts included Islamophobic and racist hate. Merseyside Police have confirmed that the 17-year-old suspect was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, has no known links to Islam, and that they are not currently investigating the attack as terror-related.
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Additionally, on Thursday, a 17-year-old boy appeared in court charged with murdering three girls and attempting to murder eight other children and two adults in Monday’s knife attack. Dal Babu, former Chief Superintendent and firearms commander in the Met, attributed the disorder to the “reckless” spread of misinformation about the suspect’s identity. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Mr Babu noted the police made the “unprecedented” decision to confirm the suspect “was born in this country.”
In London, demonstrators were seen launching flares towards the gates of Downing Street and at a statue of Winston Churchill. Chants of “stop the boats” and “save our kids” could be heard as bottles and cans were thrown at officers.
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Earlier, the Met reported that conditions placed on the protest had been breached.
The Met stated that arrests were made for a range of offences, including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions. Officers were deployed to “ensure disorder was contained,” with some officers sustaining minor injuries.
