More than 50 police officers injured in violent protests over the deaths of three girls in Southport, UK

Police arrest three suspected rioters and prepare for further possible clashes tonight

The government is aiming for a possible banning of the far-right English Defence League, responsible for the riots

Jul 31. () –

Police in the county of Merseyside, in the west of the United Kingdom, have confirmed that more than 50 officers have been injured after clashes with demonstrators who gathered in the city of Southport on Tuesday night to protest against the deaths of three girls who were stabbed earlier this week.

According to the chairman of the Merseyside Police Federation, Chris McGlade, the officers were victims of “a sustained and cruel attack” by the protesters. “Police officers are not robots. We are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands, wives and partners,” he claimed.

For her part, the county’s police chief, Serena Kennedy, has regretted that the wounded officers will not be available for some time, precisely at a time when security forces are “incredibly busy” following the multiple stabbings that occurred on Monday at a children’s dance school.

Kennedy later said three people had been arrested for participating in Tuesday’s violent riots, and said authorities would work to ensure that “more” arrests were made. “It’s impossible to say how many will be arrested, the investigation is in its early stages,” he added.

British authorities estimate that between 200 and 300 people were involved in the riots. “At first there were about 70 people who left the vigil and headed towards the mosque. Suddenly it grew to about 200 and then others joined in,” Kennedy said.

Authorities say many of the protesters, some of whom came from other regions, are members of the far-right English Defence League and may have been drawn to false reports on social media that the attacker was an asylum-seeking migrant.

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has described the riots in Southport as “shameful and disrespectful” and deplored the “disrespectful” theories spread on social media about the attacker’s alleged migrant origin.

“There have been a couple of instances recently, particularly on the internet, where theories and things like that have been made up, when in fact they turn out not to be true (…) The speculation and some of the falsehoods that have been spread on social media not only create tension and fear, but are disrespectful to families,” said the number two in the British Government.

Reyner has also hinted that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will “look” into the possibility of outlawing the English Defence League. The group was founded in 2009 by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and uses street demonstrations to defend anti-Islamist and xenophobic positions.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has acknowledged that it is “concerning” that people from other parts of the country came to Southport overnight to join in the rioting, while he has argued for local people to be “given space” to recover from Monday’s tragic incident.

British police have intelligence information indicating that the incidents of the previous day are likely to be repeated tonight. Security forces have reinforced their presence in the town and dozens of officers are gathered at Southport train station.

Nigel Farage accused of inciting protests

The biggest riots took place in the centre of Southport and were also concentrated in front of the local mosque, where vehicles were set on fire. Several British politicians have accused populist MP Nigel Farage of inciting the protests by fuelling the rumour that the attack was linked to terrorism.

This is the case of Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox, murdered in 2016 by an individual affiliated with the neo-Nazi group National Alliance, who has questioned whether Farage is a “credible” politician and has accused him of being “willing to use terrible events and hatred to undermine the community.”

Farage, for his part, has come out to deny having fuelled the protest in Southport, but instead conveyed a general feeling of “concern” about the incident and, according to him, the lack of explanations from the British authorities, according to Sky News.

At least three girls have died and another eight were injured, two of them seriously, after being victims of a multiple stabbing by a Welsh teenager during a dance and yoga class in the British city of Southport, north of Liverpool.

Security forces have insisted on ending speculation about the identity and origin of the attacker. According to the police, an “incorrect name” of the suspect has been circulated on social media and they advocate “not speculating on the details of the incident.”

The attack took place at the Hart Space community centre, where the Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop was being held for children between the ages of seven and eleven. In fact, the American artist published a statement on Tuesday in which she expressed her regret for what happened.

Meanwhile, a group of fans of the American singer has launched an initiative to raise funds to help with the cost of the victims’ funerals and to support their families. The initiative has already raised more than 287,000 pounds (more than 340,000 euros).