After the knife attack in the English coastal town of Southport, the situation is escalating in several places in the country. Prime Minister Starmer also sees internet portals as responsible for misinformation.
After riots following the massacre in Southport, fears of further violent protests by right-wing extremists are growing in Britain. The new Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured the police of his government’s support at a meeting with senior officials in Downing Street. “These are not protests, these are violent riots, and we are taking action against them,” said Starmer.
Police departments should work together better in the future to prevent riots. The further use of facial recognition technology is also to be examined. Starmer also took social media platforms to task. The riots were accompanied by false news on social media about the identity of the perpetrator.
The suspect is said to have stabbed three girls aged six, seven and nine on Monday and injured eight other children and two adults, some seriously. Two children have since been released from hospital. The 17-year-old was taken to court in Liverpool under high security. The Crown Court ordered him to be remanded in custody in a youth facility.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 25th. Then it will also be a question of whether the teenager pleads guilty. In this case there would be no trial, but the court could directly determine the sentence. In the case of murder, British law stipulates life imprisonment, and the court decides on the minimum term of imprisonment.
Suspect’s anonymity lifted
According to police, the suspect, who is accused of triple murder and ten counts of attempted murder, was born in Britain. Right-wing forces claim, without providing any evidence, that the authorities are hiding the attacker’s true identity. The teenager’s parents are from Rwanda. Although he is still a minor for a few days – his 18th birthday is on Wednesday – the judge decided to lift the teenager’s anonymity. Naming suspects is common practice in Britain.
More than 100 arrests in London
In London on Wednesday evening, there were scuffles between ultranationalists and the police not far from the government headquarters in Downing Street. The rioters also threw fireworks at the iron fence that blocks the street. The police arrested 111 people. Participants shouted: “Rule Britannia” and “We want our country back”.
Mayor Sadiq Khan criticised the riots. “There is no place for crime on our streets and I fully support the Metropolitan Police’s actions against those who seek violence, cause unrest and spread division in our city,” the politician from the social democratic Labour Party wrote on X.
In the north-eastern English town of Hartlepool, rioters attacked police and a police car went up in flames. Eight people were arrested there and several officers were injured. In Manchester, police dispersed several dozen people near a hotel that is being used as accommodation for asylum seekers. On Tuesday evening, there were already riots near a mosque in Southport.
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.
