A disorderly crowd of far-right protesters clashed with police on Tuesday outside a mosque in a northern English town where three girls were stabbed to death during a dance event. AP reported.
Clashes broke out in some areas and masked protesters threw bottles and stones at police, Merseyside Police said.
Police outside the building described the crowd as supporters of the English Defence League. The disturbances were linked to rumours that a teenager was arrested following the stabbing.
“There has been a lot of speculation and hypotheses surrounding the status of a 17-year-old boy who is currently in police custody and some people are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” said Merseyside Police Deputy Chief Constable Alex Goss.
In Southport, people protested in silence for innocent people who were stabbed, and when people were near the mosque, everyone became violent. A police van was set on fire and thick smoke billowed out. One police officer received bruises to the face, including a broken nose.
Policemen in black helmets and armour patrolled the area, and chants of “No to surrender!” and “English until death” signalled the event. Firecrackers, car alarms, police sirens and police inspection helicopters hovering overhead.
The girls were learning a Taylor Swift dance and basic yoga moves in the first week of summer vacation yesterday when a knife-wielding suspect burst into the studio, police said.
“It is difficult to understand or put into words the horror of what happened,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament. “What should have been a joyful start to the summer turned into an unspeakable tragedy.”
The victims, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, died from their injuries. Eight children and two adults remained hospitalized following the attack; all five children and the adults are in critical condition.
Flowers and stuffed animals were left in tribute at a police cordon in the seaside resort near Liverpool, while messages of support were posted online for teacher Leanne Lucas, an organiser of the event and one of the victims.
Witnesses described scenes “like a horror movie” as bloodied children fled the attack. The suspect, a 17-year-old from Cardiff, Wales, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. He has not yet been charged.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was booed during his visit to the scene of the crime, where he laid a wreath and offered his condolences. Starmer stressed his commitment to tackling knife crime but insisted the day was not about talking politics.
