▲ In Liverpool, an officer confronts a protester. Protests also took place in Bristol, Hull and Belfast.Afp Photo
AFP, Reuters and AP
The newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, August 4, 2024, p. 19
Liverpool. Far-right protesters clashed with police yesterday in several British cities, including Liverpool, in protests fuelled by anti-immigrant disinformation campaigns, sparked by the deaths of three girls who were stabbed this week by a 17-year-old boy, Axel Rudakubana.
The incidents, which resulted in dozens of arrests, are the biggest challenge facing Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his first month in office.
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Rwandan parents, local media reported. Liverpool Echo. According to residents of the town of Banks, Lancashire, where the young man lived, the family is very involved with the local churchHowever, false information was spread on social media, indicating that he was an alleged asylum seeker, which led to protests by far-right, racist and anti-immigrant groups.
In Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Belfast, violent marches erupted, scuffles broke out and bricks and bottles were thrown as anti-immigration protesters clashed with anti-racism groups. In Liverpool, two officers were hospitalized with suspected facial fractures, while another was thrown from his motorcycle. About 750 people and a similar number of opponents took part in the riots, Merseyside police said.
In Bristol, anti-racism protesters outnumbered their opponents, with local television footage showing them clashing with riot police. In Belfast, some shops were damaged and at least one was set on fire, according to security authorities.
I have no idea why they attacked us.said Rahmi Akyol, standing in front of the shattered glass doors of his cafe.
Dozens of people have been arrested across the UK for offences ranging from violent disorder to theft and criminal damage.
Starmer held a crisis meeting with his cabinet yesterday and said the police have the full support of the government to act against the extremists who attack uniformed officers and try sow hatredaccording to his office at 10 Downing Street.
Axel Rudakubana is in pretrial detention in a juvenile centre, accused of the murder of three girls aged six, seven and nine and the attempted murder of 10 other people.
The attacker stabbed the girls during a dance class in Southport. His motives are unknown. At his first hearing he smiled at reporters and showed no signs of remorse.