The unrest follows a mass stabbing on July 30 that left three children dead and 10 others injured. The attack occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for children aged six to 11. Police charged a 17-year-old boy with murder and attempted murder, but did not provide a motive for the stabbing. Within 24 hours, riots erupted across England, with demonstrators chanting “We want our country back” while hurling projectiles at police. Protesters set fire to trash cans, tires, and a police van. Law enforcement officials have attributed the violence to rumors that the attacker was a migrant who had entered the country illegally. In an effort to dispel these claims and calm the situation, a judge released the name of the suspect, Axel Rudakubana. Although his parents are originally from Rwanda, Rudakubana has lived in Southport, where the attack took place, and has attended British schools his entire life. According to a statement from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), a total of 1,024 arrests have been made, and 575 protesters have already been charged. “We told you justice would be swift and we wouldn’t tolerate this type of criminality,” the NPCC said in a statement posted on X.Police in the United Kingdom have announced the arrest of more than 1,000 individuals in connection with widespread protests over the country’s mass migration policies and their perceived impact on local communities.
Forces across the country have now made more than 1,000 arrests in connection with the recent violent disorder.
There have now been a total of:
➡️1024 arrests
➡️575 charges
We told you justice would be swift and we wouldn't tolerate this type of criminality. pic.twitter.com/h8dYQuHuIC
— National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) (@PoliceChiefs) August 13, 2024 Police, prosecutors, and judges have faced criticism for declaring that they will investigate and arrest individuals even if they are not directly involved in the violence. “Anybody involving themselves in this type of behavior, this type of disorder, as an active participant or a curious observer can expect to be, save for the most exceptional circumstances, remanded into custody,” said a Northern Irish judge last week after jailing an 18-year-old with no criminal record who was reportedly on the “periphery” of a demonstration. In response to the riots, police have pledged to pursue individuals for speech violations, including those who simply share others’ content online. “The offense of incitement to racial hatred involves publishing or distributing material which is insulting or abusive, which is intended to or likely to stir up racial hatred,” said Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales. “If you retweet that, you’re republishing it, and potentially, you’re committing that offense,” he continued. “And we do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media. Their job is to look for this material and then follow up with identification, arrests, and so forth. So, it’s really, really serious. People might think they’re not doing anything harmful—they are, and the consequences will be visited upon them.” Parkinson added that British authorites have “liason prosecutors” worldwide and would “consider extradition” in order to prosecute individuals in other countries. In a recent case, 51-year-old Lee Joseph Dunn was imprisoned for sharing Facebook posts containing memes that authorities deemed offensive, including one featuring a group of Asian men with the caption: “Coming to a town near you.” In Cheshire, a 55-year-old woman was arrested for posting “a social media post containing inaccurate information.” “It’s a stark reminder of the dangers of posting information on social media platforms without checking the accuracy,” said Cheshire Police Chief Superintendent Alison Ross. “It also acts as a warning that we are all accountable for our actions, whether that be online or in person.”
A 55-year-old woman from near to Chester, was arrested earlier today (Thurs 8 August) on suspicion of a number of offences in relation to a social media post containing inaccurate information about the identity of the attacker in the Southport murders. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/DxUZcEVjlv
— Cheshire Police (@cheshirepolice) August 8, 2024
