At a vigil, numerous people mourn peacefully for the children stabbed to death in Southport, England. But right-wing extremists hijack the commemoration.
The British coastal town of Southport is in shock following the fatal knife attack on several children and anti-Muslim riots by right-wing extremists. Some streets were a field of rubble in the morning after rioters attacked police officers near a mosque with bricks, garbage cans and street signs. A burnt-out police car was visible. 39 officers were injured, 27 of them had to be treated in hospital.
Motive for bloody crime unclear
According to police, the serious riots that broke out after a peaceful vigil for the victims by thousands of people were fueled by rumors and false reports about the identity of the suspected perpetrator. The 17-year-old is said to have stabbed three girls aged six, seven and nine on Monday and injured eight other children and two adults, some seriously. The motive is still unclear.
Reports circulated online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker with an Arabic-sounding name who had already been under surveillance by the British secret service. Critics accused the right-wing populist MP Nigel Farage, who once played a key role in pushing forward Brexit, of inflaming the mood. The head of the Reform UK party had speculated in a video uploaded to X that the authorities were “withholding the truth from us”.
Police reject online speculation
The police clearly rejected the information, which was also reported by a Russian state media outlet. The 17-year-old was born in Great Britain, they stressed. The BBC reported that the teenager was the son of Rwandan parents and had lived in the Southport region for more than ten years. The police believe that the attack was carried out by a lone perpetrator. It was not a terrorist act.
The attackers threw bricks at officials and the local mosque after a vigil for the victims of the knife attack, police said, and looted a shop. They also reportedly set fire to cars and garbage cans. According to the authorities, most of the rioters were members of a right-wing extremist group and had traveled to Southport specifically for the purpose.
“These were thugs who came by train, they were not people from Southport,” local MP Patrick Hurley told BBC Radio 4. They had abused the massacre for their own political purposes and attacked “the same first responders and the same police officers” who had stopped the perpetrator on Monday.
“Vigil hijacked”
The British government strongly condemned the riots. The new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that rioters would face the full force of the law.
“Those who hijacked the vigil for the victims with violence and brutality have insulted the grieving community,” the head of government said at X. Starmer laid flowers near the crime scene. The prime minister, who has only been in office for a few weeks, was harassed by onlookers who demanded tougher action against migrants.
Police officers suffered broken bones and cuts
According to the police, the officers injured in the riots suffered, among other things, broken bones, cuts, a possible broken nose and a concussion. Three police dogs were also injured.
“This is no way to treat a community, especially a community that is still reeling from the events of Monday,” said Merseyside Police Deputy Chief Alex Goss. Police were given extended search powers in the city area for 24 hours.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
