Several police officers in Southport, England, were injured when a riot broke out during a vigil for the victims of the mass stabbing that occurred earlier this week at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class.
On Tuesday, July 30, a large group believed to be supporters of the English Defence League, a far-right organisation, threw items at a local mosque in the seaside town, Merseyside Police said in a statement.
Police later confirmed that more than 50 officers were injured during what they called a “riot” that occurred on Tuesday at around 7:45 p.m. and lasted until midnight.
“Of the 53 injured, 49 were Merseyside Police officers and four were Lancashire Police officers,” police said in a statement shared on Wednesday, July 31. “Eight suffered serious injuries, including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion, and were treated in hospital.”
“Other officers suffered varying degrees of injuries, including head injuries, serious facial injuries and one was knocked unconscious,” police said, adding that three police dogs were also injured during the incident.
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According to police, the attackers destroyed garden walls and used the bricks to shoot at police officers and a local mosque. They also destroyed a convenience store and set cars and trash cans on fire.
Police said three children were killed in the stabbing, leaving the local community in mourning. The victims were identified as Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.
According to police, eight other children were injured and five are in critical condition. Two adults injured in the attack also remain in critical condition.
Courtesy of Merseyside Police
“It is outrageous to see this happening in a community that has been devastated by the tragic loss of three young lives,” Assistant Police Chief Alex Goss said in a statement Tuesday.
Goss continued: “Over the last 24 hours, we have seen overwhelming support and sympathy from the community and wider communities across Merseyside for the families who are currently trying to come to terms with their losses and care for the victims injured during this major incident.”
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The children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school on Hart Street when a 17-year-old boy armed with a knife entered the building and attacked the group on Monday morning, July 29, Merseyside Police Chief Serena Kennedy previously said.
According to an online flyer, the event was a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class at The Hart Space, which was scheduled to take place between 10am and noon on Monday. The telegraph reported that the class was advertised for children between the ages of 6 and 11.
Light Up with Leanne/Facebook
Soon after, the teenage suspect, who was originally from Cardiff, Wales, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, police said. It is not clear whether he has been formally charged.
Although police have not yet released the name of the suspect, the New York Times reports that misinformation about the suspect’s identity was amplified online by far-right accounts.
Authorities said the motive remained unclear and the attack was not being treated as terrorism-related.
“There has been a lot of speculation and hypotheses surrounding the status of a 17-year-old who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Goss said.
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“We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK and speculation is not helping anyone at this time.”
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The violence that unfolded on Tuesday led to the arrest of four unidentified men aged between 31 and 39, police said. They were taken into custody on suspicion of violent disorder, with the exception of one man, who was arrested on suspicion of disorder and possession of a sharp article.
Police said they will increase their police presence in the city in the coming days because of the violence and are asking the public for information or video footage of the disturbances to possibly make more arrests.
“The people of Southport are reeling from the horror inflicted on them yesterday,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a Tuesday post on X, formerly Twitter. “They deserve our support and our respect.”
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