(VOVWORLD) -A large crowd of anti-Muslim protesters clashed with police on Tuesday in a northern English town where three girls were stabbed to death and five other children critically wounded during an attack on a Taylor Swift-themed event on Monday.
 Police at the scene of a stabbing in Southport, England, July 29, 2024. (Photo: Sky News/VNA) |
Crowds gathered outside a mosque, hurling bricks, stones and fireworks at police, amid rumors on social media accusing police of not being truthful about the suspect’s background and motive. A police car was set on fire and several officers were injured.
The violence erupted hours after UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned of divisive incitement after widespread speculation on social media about the attacker's identity and motives behind the attack.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Ms. Cooper said those spreading misinformation about the tragedy risked undermining the ongoing criminal investigation and showed disrespect to the families of the victims.
Merseyside police said the attacker's name, which was widely shared on social media, was incorrect, and said some individuals were using the incident to cause violence and public disorder. The suspect being questioned by police has not been named because he is a minor. Police said the suspect was born in Cardiff, Wales, to a family who came to the UK from Rwanda in 2002.
The Southport stabbings occurred on Monday afternoon when the attacker attacked a children’s yoga and dance class. Two girls, aged six and seven, died in the attack and a nine-year-old died in the hospital on Tuesday.