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Police are braced for more violence after far-right protesters this week hijacked the murders of three schoolgirls in Southport to launch riots which left 50 officers injured.
Far-right thugs were accused of using the horrific stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class to “whip up hatred” as misinformation about the identity of the suspected knifeman spread like wildfire on social media.
There have been calls for the government to come down hard on those spreading misleading information as Merseyside Police called in support from other forces amid fears of further action.
The grieving mother of seven-year-old stabbing victim Elsie Dot Stancombe begged for a halt to the violence amid calls for action to stop more clashes.
Chief constable Serena Kennedy said she understood the community in Southport was really worried about repeat violence on Wednesday as the force prepared for more protests.
Anti-fascist campaign group Hope Not Hate also warned of far-right groups preparing possible demonstrations elsewhere across the country over the coming days, including London, Aldershot, Sunderland, Hull, Liverpool, Cardiff and Manchester.
In the capital the Metropolitan Police set out public order conditions for a protest badged ‘Enough is Enough’ on Whitehall at 7pm on Wednesday, warning demonstrators to act “calmly and within the law”.
The home secretary is understood to be reviewing whether the far-right English Defence League founded by Tommy Robinson should be made a proscribed terrorist organisation, although the official group is thought to have been disbanded. The group was linked to Tuesday night’s violence.
Meanwhile former security minister Stephen McPartland pointed the finger at Russia, suggesting Putin’s regime could be behind the misinformation campaign which is “part of the Russian playbook”.
The blame game comes after an angry mob of hundreds of violent far-right protesters clashed with police outside a mosque in Southport shortly after the community paid tribute to the victims of the stabbing atrocity in a vigil.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, was killed alongside six-year-old Bebe King and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar in Monday morning’s rampage.
Five more children are still fighting for their lives following the tragedy, along with two dance class teachers who bravely tried to defend their pupils from the attack.
Police are continuing to question a 17-year-old boy arrested in connection with the stabbings and are not treating the incident as terror related.
However within minutes of the news of the attack breaking, misinformation was being shared on social media falsely speculating that the suspect was Muslim, a migrant, refugee or a foreigner.
Among the accounts to peddle such claims was influencer Andrew Tate and other right-wing personalities with large followings.
By Tuesday night, there were at least 27 million impressions on such social media posts, according to Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation researcher and associate professor of Middle East Studies.
Merseyside Police said a large group of people – believed to be supporters of the English Defence League – began to launch missiles towards the mosque in the seaside town at around 7.45pm.
The angry mob chanting far-right slogans and destroyed garden walls so they could use the bricks to attack officers in riot gear.
Police vehicles were damaged and set alight, along with cars belonging to the public parked in the mosque carpark. Shops were looted.
Following the unrest, Jenni Stancombe, the grieving mother of Elsie, pleaded for an end to the violence as she paid tribute to the “heroic” police.
“This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight,” she wrote on social media.
“The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don’t need this.”
Shocked locals described the carnage as like a war scene, as scores of volunteers turned out to clear up the devastation on Wednesday. The council warned it was still calculating the cost of the damage and the road will need to be resurfaced.
Mosque chairman Ibrahim Hussein revealed he was trapped inside the mosque with about eight others as the violence erupted, and only escaped with a police guard.
He said: “It was terrifying. It was absolutely, awful, horrendous. We couldn’t understand this viciousness that was going on.”
Norman Wallis, chief executive of Southport Pleasureland, said people had travelled from out of town to wreak havoc, leaving locals to clean up the mess.
He said: “It was like a war scene. People from out of town just causing absolute mayhem.
“Those people from out of town – they came in in buses and cars and had a change of clothes. They just started to riot and do this.”
Sir Keir Starmer vowed the thugs would feel “the full force of the law” as the prime minister accused the protesters of insulting the community as it grieves.
However police have so far only made four arrests as they issued an appeal for anyone with information or video footage of the “wanton violence and destruction” to come forward.
A total of 49 Merseyside officers and four Lancashire Police officers were hurt in the clashes, with eight suffering serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion.
Three police dogs were also injured in the chaos, with dogs Zoe and Ike suffering leg injuries from bricks, while Quga suffered burns to her hind leg.
Assistant chief constable Jenni Sims said the force has extensive plans and resources in place to quickly deal with anyone intent on causing disorder over the coming days.
This includes a 24-hour Section 60 Order giving police extra stop and search powers and a Section 34 Order giving officers tougher powers to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Nick Lowles, from Hope Not Hate, called for urgent government action to tackle similar flare-ups, telling The Independent: “This escalation of violence was shocking and is part of a wider, worrying pattern of volatile community tensions.
“We are far from achieving peaceful coexistence across all communities in the UK. People’s fears and concerns are being exploited and encouraged by the far right, with devastating consequences.”
He paid tribute to the people of Southport’s condemnation of the violence but warned they must not be left to deal with this alone.
The UK’s largest Muslim group the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) also called on the government to intervene after groups exploited the tragedy to attack their faith.
The MCB warned false information online had “wrongfully associated the crime with Muslims” after posts circulating on social media incorrectly claimed the suspect’s name was “Ali Al-Shakati” and that he had arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2023.
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 and offer reassurance at this time.”
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly said those “fuelling conspiracy” should face tough action as he called for the government to “come down hard and fast” on rioters.
Mr Cleverly said: “The violence we have seen in Southport is an insult to the memory of the victims of this heinous attack.
“These are not protesters fighting injustice, they are thugs fighting the police, tearing up a community that is already trying to process an unimaginable horror. They must be met with the full force of the law.”
