Riots have broken out across the UK in recent days after a false rumour spread online that an asylum seeker was responsible for a mass stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that left three girls dead and others injured.
The suspect has been identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents.
The names of suspects under the age of 18 are not normally made public in Britain but the judge in this case ordered that his identity be revealed to prevent the spread of misinformation. The boy has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
The stabbing comes days after rioters set fire to a library, attacked a mosque and hurled flares at a statue of wartime leader Winston Churchill, stoking wider concerns about the scale of immigration in Britain.
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A car burns during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough, England, on August 4, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via The Associated Press)
Hundreds of people have been arrested in connection with the unrest, and many more are likely to be arrested as police comb through security camera, social media and body camera footage, but police have also warned that other crimes may not be fully investigated because of the extensive security measures in place and the deployment of thousands of officers.
Violence was particularly intense in the northern English town of Rotherham on Sunday, where police struggled to contain a mob of several hundred people who tried to break into a Holiday Inn Express hotel being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Sunday afternoon that authorities would “do everything possible to bring these violent criminals to justice.”
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“Anyone who takes part in this unrest, whether in person or by instigating it online and then running away, will definitely regret it,” he said. “This is not a protest. This is an organized, violent mob action that has no place in the streets or online.”
Mr Starmer described those who attack people because of the colour of their skin or their religion as “far-right”.
“People in this country have a right to be safe, but we have seen Muslim communities being targeted, mosques being attacked, other minority communities being targeted, Nazi salutes being made in the streets, police being attacked, violence running rampant along with racist rhetoric, so I have no hesitation in calling this a far-right heinous crime,” he said.
Trouble breaks out during an anti-immigration protest outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, on August 4, 2024, when a chair is thrown at a police officer. (Danny Lawson/PA via The Associated Press)
Shield-wielding officers faced off against a barrage of projectiles – pieces of wood, chairs and fire extinguishers – before any rioting could be contained. A large trash can by the hotel’s window was also set on fire. Smaller fires were put out.
South Yorkshire Police, which covers Rotherham, said at least 10 officers were injured, including one who was left unconscious.
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“The behaviour we witnessed was truly disgusting and whilst a small minority of those in attendance chose to commit acts of violence and vandalism, those who simply stood by and watched were fully complicit in this incident,” Deputy Chief Superintendent Lindsay Butterfield said. “We have officers working hard to review the vast amount of online images and footage of those involved and they should be prepared for us to be at their homes at short notice.”
Police officers confront protesters during an anti-immigration protest outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, on August 4, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via The Associated Press)
Tensions also flared in the northeastern town of Middlesbrough on Sunday, with some protesters fleeing police security, with one group roaming residential streets and smashing windows of houses and cars.
Hundreds of other people clashed with police at the town’s memorial, hurling bricks, cans and pots at officers.
Many of the protests over the past week were organised online by groups rallying support with slogans such as “enough is enough,” “save the children” and “stop the boats.”
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The cries of protest have come from various social media accounts, but have been primarily voiced by Tommy Robinson, leader of the English Defence League (EDL), which Merseyside Police have linked to violent protests in Southport on Tuesday, close to the scene of the stabbing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
