Southport riots: MP blames ‘propaganda and lies’ for violent protests

Southport MP Patrick Hurley has condemned rioters after dozens of police officers suffered serious injuries during violent protests Tuesday evening after a vigil of Monday’s deadly stabbing incident at a Taylor Swift-themed event.

Merseyside police said those involved in the unrest – likely including supporters of the English Defense League – set alight cars, hurled bricks at a local mosque, damaged a local convenience store and even set bins on fire, reported The Guardian.

Southport stabbing victim’s mother urges “stop the violence”

The brutal knife attack just a day prior to the protests resulted in the killing of Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 and Bebe King, 6. Eight other children also sustained injuries and five of them are in a critical condition.

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The mother of one of the three girls killed in the stabbing incident on Monday has made an urgent request to “stop the violence”. Jenni Stancombe, the mother of Elsie, said: “The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours,” as per the media agency.

Several officers had to be taken to hospital, and others received treatment at the scene of the rioting. Merseyside police said multiple officers sustained serious injuries, such as concussion, fractures, lacerations and a suspected broken nose. Police dogs also got hurt.

Misinformation on Southport attack suspect likely fuelled riots

MP Hurley blamed Tuesday’s riots on “propaganda and lies” circulating on social media. False claims had spread online that the suspect is actually an asylum seeker, boarding a boat to reach the UK. The misinformation didn’t just exist on people’s phones but had real impacts.

The attacker is a Cardiff-born 17-year-old, from the village of Banks, just outside Southport. Police have said that, although the motive for the stabbing remains unclear, it is not believed to be terror-related. Keep an eye out for more updates.