Far-right protesters took took to the streets of Southport, England last night following a deadly knife attack on Monday at a children's yoga and dance workshop headlined by Taylor Swift.
After a vigil for the young victims — Baby King, 6; Elsie Dott-Stancombe, 7; and Alice Aguiar, 9 — masked protesters threw glass bottles and rocks at police officers and attacked the Southport Islamic Society mosque. Local emergency services treated 39 police officers for injuries sustained during the protest, according to the North West Ambulance Service, and three police dogs were also injured.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a statement on Twitter: “The people of Southport are devastated by the horror they experienced yesterday. They deserve our support and respect. Those who hijacked a vigil for the victims with violence and thuggery have dishonoured the community and it is heartbroken. They will feel the full force of the law.”
Local MP Patrick Hurley told the BBC that the rioters were “thugs who attacked the train”, not Southport residents. He added that they “abused the families of the dead and injured children, and they abused the city”.
Following Monday’s knife attack at Heart Space, a community centre used for yoga classes and antenatal workshops, police have arrested a 17-year-old man on suspicion of murder. The suspect has not yet been named because of his age, although the BBC said it had learned he was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and moved to Southport – north of Liverpool – in 2013.
Speculation about the identity of the attacker has been rife on social media, with many people sharing misleading information about his religion and name. The main source of the fake name appears to be a website called Channel 3 Now, although it has been shared by many social media users. Far-right protesters have seized on the idea that the attacker was Muslim as a way to criticise immigration, a hot-button issue in the UK.
On Tuesday, Home Secretary Evatt Cooper urged the public to avoid “unhelpful” speculation about the attack. “This is primarily about young children,” she said. “It is about children and their families who will be grieving, and the many other children involved yesterday who will also be deeply traumatised.”
So far, three children have died and eight others have been injured by stab wounds during the attack, five of whom remain in critical condition. Two adults also remain in critical condition.
Following the attack, Swift expressed her deep sadness and disbelief on Instagram. “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport continues to wash over me and I am in complete shock,” Swift wrote. “The loss of life and innocence and the horrific trauma experienced by everyone who was there, the families, the first responders. They were just little kids in a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to express my thoughts and sympathies to these families.”
Swift's fans have set up a fundraising campaign in collaboration with Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. According to the description, the JustGiving page will raise money for the families affected by the attack, as well as funeral funds.
