- 39 police officers injured in England's bloody riot
Serious disturbances by far-right extremists following the fatal stabbing in English Southport have left 39 police officers injured. 27 of them had to be treated in hospital, as reported by the regional emergency service on X. The deployed forces suffered, among other things, broken bones, cuts, presumably a broken nose, and a concussion, according to police reports. Due to the unrest on Tuesday evening, police in the area were granted extended powers to search people for 24 hours.
The attackers, after a vigil for the victims of the stabbing, threw bricks at both officers and the local mosque, and looted a business, according to the police. They also set cars and trash cans on fire, according to reports. The police said that the rioters were primarily members of a far-right group not from the area.
"This is not how to treat a community, let alone a community still reeling from Monday's events," said the deputy chief constable of Merseyside Police, Alex Goss.
On Monday, three girls aged six, seven, and nine were killed in a stabbing in Southport. Eight other children and two adults were injured, some seriously. A 17-year-old is the prime suspect. The motive is unknown, and the police do not believe it was a terrorist act.
The disturbances are reportedly due to misinformation and rumors about the suspect's origins. The suspect, born to Rwandan parents in the Welsh capital Cardiff, has lived in the area for over ten years, according to police.
The disturbances appear to be fueled by some individuals supporting the extreme right, as they targeted the local mosque and spread false information. The rioters, primarily affiliated with a far-right group, are believed to have orchestrated these extreme right actions.
