A protest in Southport has resulted in several police officers being injured and a police van set on fire, only hours after a vigil was held to remember the three children tragically killed in a knife attack at Hart Street. Merseyside Police said a number of officers have been injured, police vehicles have been damaged and set alight, and a shop has been looted in the disturbances, which began at approximately 7:45 pm BST.
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said it was “sickening” that this was happening within a “devastated” community. The protest, which police believe to have involved English Defence League supporters, started just a few streets away from the vigil location, near to a mosque on St Luke’s Road in Southport. The violence was started when hundreds of protesters gathered near the mosque, attacking the front of it, throwing bricks, bottles, fireworks, and rocks. The police said that those behind the violence had been fired up by social media posts that created false links to an Islamist link to the attack.
Merseyside Police said a 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after Monday’s attack on a children’s dance club. Several people have attempted to use the arrest to justify violence and disorder on the streets. A nearby resident said that she couldn’t believe that this was happening in Southport, adding to the shock and devastation caused by Monday’s events.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell has joined a chorus of politicians and officials who have expressed their shock and disgust at the scenes of violence. Southport MP Patrick Hurley said he was “deeply concerned about reports of violent protests tonight”. Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy has appealed for calm and has stated that the focus should be on the victims and their families.
The Liverpool Region Mosque Network said the violent scenes are “causing further fear and anxiety within our communities,” and they added, “We must all unite and stand together against all forms of hate, violence, and division.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
