A protest in central London following the fatal stabbing of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club on Monday in Southport has led to more than 100 arrests, Metropolitan Police has said. The demonstrations, which included throwing bottles and cans, as well as setting a police car on fire, resulted in several officers sustaining minor injuries. A number of protesters breached the conditions placed on the demonstration on Wednesday.
The Met explained that it had made the arrests for different offences, such as assault on an emergency worker, breach of protest conditions and violent disorder. The police were deployed to contain the disorder but suffered minor injuries in the process. The protesters launched flares towards the gates of Downing Street, and some were seen attacking a statue of Winston Churchill as they chanted slogans such as “save our kids” and “stop the boats”.
On Tuesday night, unrest also broke out near a mosque in Southport during which the building was attacked, while Merseyside Police officers were pelted with bricks. This followed Wednesday’s disorder in Hartlepool, Cleveland, after glass bottles and eggs were thrown at police by protesters.
The disorder occurred after Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed on Monday while attending a holiday club in Southport. Eight other children suffered knife wounds, with five in a critical situation, and two adults were also critically hurt.
On Thursday morning, a 17-year-old boy was charged by Merseyside Police with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at Liverpool City Magistrates’ Court
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