Photos: Violence flares in U.K. following stabbing deaths of children
Over the last week, civil unrest, violence and riots have erupted across Britain stemming from the stabbing deaths of three children on July 29 by a 17-year-old suspect.
The attack took place at a dance school in Southport, England. Five other children and two adults are in critical condition. Police arrested Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, who was born and raised in the U.K., charging him with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Before his identity was made public, however, false rumors spread online that the attack had been carried out by an undocumented Muslim immigrant.
As misinformation spread across the internet, riots broke out in several cities and towns across England. Hotels, which were thought to be housing those seeking asylum and still awaiting their decision — one in northern England and one in the Midlands — were set on fire. A library in Liverpool was also set ablaze.
In an effort to quell the rumors, a British judge allowed for Rudakubana’s name to be released.
With more rumors fueling the fire, far-right and anti-immigration riots continued over the weekend; the national police chief of the U.K. said almost 150 people were arrested.
On Monday morning, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that a “standing army” of specialist police would be deployed to deal with rioting and violence, as well as a streamlined justice system empowered to handle the high number of arrests.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard responded after a hotel in his town was set on fire.
“What we’re seeing is not a protest,” Coppard said in a statement. “It is brutal thuggery directed against some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
