A far-right mob clashed with police outside a mosque in Southport following a misinformation campaign online that falsely claimed the attacker who killed three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class was Muslim.
Masked protesters clashed with police outside the mosque, throwing bottles and bricks. Some of the windows at the mosque were smashed, according to the BBC.
Merseyside police said an officer suffered a suspected broken nose, and police vehicles were damaged and set alight.
The violence followed false social media claims about the identity of the 17-year-old arrested for an attack that killed three children.
BBC News reported the suspect, born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, moved to Southport in 2013. Due to his age, he cannot be legally identified.
Police believe the protesters are linked with the far-right English Defence League.
“At around 7.45pm, a large group of people – believed to be supporters of the English Defence League – began to throw items towards a local mosque on St Luke’s Road in Southport,” the force said.
“Officers who are deployed are currently dealing with criminal behaviour and violence with bottles and wheelie bins being thrown at them.”
The Liverpool Region Mosque Network said in a statement that it is “shocked and horrified by the heinous acts of murder and indiscriminate violence” that left the young girls dead and others injured.”
It added: “A minority of people are attempting to portray that this inhumane act is somehow related to the Muslim community. Frankly, it is not”.
The normalisation of Islamophobia in mainstream
Earlier, hundreds attended a peaceful vigil in Southport for Monday’s attack victims.
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were fatally stabbed in the attack. Eight other children and two adults were critically injured.
As violence erupted, far-right Islamophobe Tommy Robinson posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying the mob that attacked the mosque and police were “justified”. Just a week ago, he was singing a different tune; applauding the police for violently attacking Asian men at Manchester airport after they had a scuffle with the police.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence on X: “The people of Southport are reeling after the horror inflicted on them yesterday.
“Those who have hijacked the vigil for the victims with violence and thuggery have insulted the community as it grieves. They will feel the full force of the law.”
The MCB said in a statement that the actions in Southport show the “far-right’s growing intimidatory presence,” which is “aided and abetted by sections of our increasingly right-wing media, whose agenda has always been to scapegoat Muslims for society’s ills.”
MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed said: “At a time of great tragedy, loss, and mourning, we must stand firm against the cynical forces of hatred and division. This does not represent our diverse Britain and the people of Southport. The Government must address the increasing rise of violent far-right extremism targeting Muslim communities. More must be done to tackle Islamophobia.
Others on social media were also quick to highlight the role of extreme elements in politics and media in the UK and abroad, jumping on the tragedy to peddle misinformation and sow division.
