BTN News: Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, has strongly condemned the “small and irrational minority” responsible for the recent riots in several cities. These disturbances erupted after a horrifying stabbing at a children’s dance class. The violence led to widespread outrage and chaos. Starmer promised to put an end to this violence, emphasizing that the recent riots were “clearly driven by far-right hatred.” He introduced a new program to help police share information faster between different agencies. This will enable quicker arrests to stop further violent outbursts. Over the past two nights, these riots have resulted in many police officers being hospitalized.
“This is coordinated; it is deliberate,” Starmer said. “This is not a protest that got out of hand. It is a group of individuals who are determined to cause violence.” His comments came as the suspect, a 17-year-old identified as Axel Rudakubana, made his first court appearance. The decision to name the suspect was partly to counteract false information that has been spreading online about his identity and immigration status.
Judge Andrew Menary allowed Rudakubana to be identified even though he is a minor. The judge noted that Rudakubana would lose his right to anonymity when he turns 18 next week. Menary argued that withholding the suspect’s identity could allow false rumors to spread. “Continuing to withhold full information has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation in the vacuum,” Menary said in Liverpool Crown Court.
The attack on Monday targeted children attending a dance class themed around Taylor Swift. This incident shocked a nation already dealing with knife crime. The attack led to the deaths of three girls: Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. Ten others were stabbed. While Rudakubana has not been charged with terrorism offenses, he faces three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder for injuring eight children and two adults. The suspect, reportedly born in Wales, did not enter a plea and was ordered to remain in custody without bail. This could change when he turns 18.
The adults critically injured, identified as Leanne Lucas, the dance and yoga class instructor, and John Hayes, who tried to protect the children, remain in critical condition. Two of the injured children were discharged on Thursday, while five others remained hospitalized in stable condition.
Prosecutors have not revealed a motive for the crime but stated that a curved kitchen knife was used in the attack. The suspect, dressed in a grey tracksuit, briefly smiled at journalists before his court appearance. During his subsequent hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, he kept his head down and did not speak. Neither the suspect’s parents nor the victims’ families were present in court.
The riots, fueled partly by misinformation online, saw far-right activists using the tragedy to incite hatred against immigrants and Muslims. Violent protests erupted, with clashes occurring outside a mosque and near the Prime Minister’s office in London. Starmer partly blamed social media companies but did not announce any specific measures to address the issue, emphasizing the need to balance their value with the threats they pose. “Violent disorder, clearly generated online, is also a crime. It is happening on their platforms,” he stressed.
Hundreds of protesters chanting “we want our country back” threw bottles and beer cans near the Prime Minister’s residence in Downing Street and launched flares at a statue of wartime leader Winston Churchill. Over 100 arrests were made for offenses including violent disorder and assault on emergency workers. In Hartlepool, protesters threw bottles and eggs at police and set a patrol car on fire. Another smaller disturbance was reported in Manchester. In Southport, a mob of hundreds hurled bricks and bottles at riot police, set fire to bins and vehicles, and looted a shop, hours after a peaceful vigil for the attack victims. More than 50 police officers were injured.
“A horde of thugs boarded trains and buses, went to a community that is not theirs, a community mourning the most dreadful tragedy, and proceeded to throw bricks at police officers who had just dealt with an attack on children in their community 24 hours earlier,” Starmer said.
Starmer’s National Program Against Violent Disorders aims to enable police to operate across communities, similar to how “roaming mobs” move. Police will use facial recognition technology to identify perpetrators and use criminal behavior orders similar to those imposed on football hooligans to restrict their movements and associations. Although Starmer did not announce additional funding for the program, he highlighted his earlier commitment to increase community policing.
A civil liberties group criticized Starmer for not addressing the root causes of the stabbing and the “violent and racist vandalism” and condemned plans to use facial recognition technology, which is banned in Europe.
