Violent far-right protesters clashed with police outside a mosque in Southport, northwest England, following a stabbing attack that killed three young girls the previous day, AP News reports.
The protest, which had initially started as a peaceful vigil for the victims, escalated as demonstrators, incited by false online rumors about the suspect, threw bottles, stones, and set vehicles on fire, injuring over 20 officers and causing significant property damage. The suspect, who lived near Southport and was born in Cardiff, was incorrectly rumored online to be an asylum seeker. The Liverpool Region Mosque Network denounced the attack as unrelated to Islam. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, describing it as “thuggery,” and urged calm.
The 17-year-old suspect was arrested but not yet charged for the stabbings, which resulted in the deaths of Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and Bebe King (6), and left several others critically injured. The attack occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed event for children.
