A large crowd of anti-Muslim protesters clashed with police on Tuesday in a town in northern England where three girls were stabbed to death and five other children were seriously injured in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event on Monday.
The horrific stabbing in Southport, a quiet seaside town north of Liverpool, has shocked the country. Police have said the incident is not linked to terrorism and the suspect was born in Britain.
Still, right-wing groups have speculated that the teenage suspect was linked to Islam, and police said Tuesday’s violence erupted when hundreds of people began throwing objects at a mosque. Police linked the mob to the English Defence League, a group that has sometimes staged violent demonstrations against Islam.
Police vehicles were damaged and set on fire, and officers were attacked with bricks and large rubbish containers. A video posted online showed the crowd chanting “We want our country back”.
Away from the violence, hundreds of people gathered to pay tribute to those killed in the attack, offering flowers and toys.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The people of Southport are devastated by what happened to them yesterday. They deserve our support and respect.”
“Those who hijacked a prayer meeting for the victims with violence and hooliganism have dishonoured a community that is in mourning. They will feel the full force of the law.”
A 17-year-old youth is currently in police custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after going on a bloody rampage at the “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop,” a summer vacation program for children ages 6 to 11.
Eyewitnesses said the attack was like a scene from a horror movie. Apart from the three deaths, eight children were stabbed and injured. Five of them and two adults who tried to save them remain in critical condition.
Police said the motive for the killing remained unclear and gave no details about the suspect, saying only that he was born in Wales and lived in a nearby village.
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said: “There has been much speculation and assumptions about the status of a 17-year-old boy in police custody, and some people are using this as an excuse to incite violence and disorder on our streets.”
“We have already said that the man arrested was born in Britain and speculation at this point will not help anyone.”
Goss and local politicians said many of those who clashed with police were from outside the area, and the Liverpool Area Mosque Network said a minority of people were using the incident to stir up hatred.
“This evening we have seen disturbing scenes outside the Southport Mosque, where angry protestors have gathered outside,” the statement said. “This is causing further fear and anxiety in our communities.”
Starmer had earlier made a condolence visit to the city to lay flowers, and King Charles and his family have expressed their horror. US singer Swift herself wrote on Instagram that she was “in total shock”.
just little kids
“These were young kids from the dance class. I don’t know how to express my condolences to these families,” she said.
His fans have raised more than 250,000 pounds ($320,850) online to help the families of the victims and the hospital where some of the children were being treated.
The three girls who died in the attack were 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancomb, and 9-year-old Alice DeSilva Aguiar, whose parents were Portuguese.
“Our princess, may you keep smiling and dancing like we told you before, you will always be our princess and no one can change that. Love from your hero daddy and mommy,” Aguiar’s family said in a statement.
There is growing concern about rising levels of knife attacks and crime in the UK, and the Southport attack follows a string of other similar indiscriminate incidents in recent times.
“I am absolutely determined that my government will get through this,” Starmer said.
