UK- Major incident declared in Southport after multiple stabbings, 29 July 2024

[VerityGumshoe]

Over police radios, some called for backup, saying “we’re having petrol thrown at us.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-children-hospital-merseyside#top-of-blog[/UR

Absolutely appalling.The police had cared for bleeding and traumatised children the day before. Then they are attacked and children who are already upset and scared are having to hide inside their houses.

 

[Officer Dibble]

He is 17, too young to have a child at an event for kids Y2-6.

I wrote this early on in this thread BEFORE we all knew he was 17. If you kept reading you will have seen a few posts after this with the news, newly appearing, saying he was 17 and me posting to acknowledge this.

 

[elliefant]

They all need to be arrested and hammered in court. And their leader needs to be hauled back from whatever country he's scurried off to, as i have no doubt that he's instigated it.

It was reported they were chanting his name.

 

[JennieM]

13m ago

Riots caused by propaganda and lies spread online about identity of attacker, local MP says

Patrick Hurley, the MP for Southport, has also been speaking with Times Radio this morning. He said the riots occurred because of the “propaganda and lies” spread on social media about the identity of the attacker.

The only details released about the suspect by police described him as a 17-year-old from the village of Banks in Lancashire who was born in Cardiff.

Hurley told Times Radio:

Because of the propaganda and the lies that were being spread around on social media from within minutes of the news breaking on Monday afternoon about the tragic incident.
We’d had all sorts of lies being spread and misinformation being spread about the alleged perpetrator and some people with the best of intentions then they tried to rebut this, they tried to argue back, but all that happens is you’re just amplifying people’s false messaging.
This misinformation doesn’t just exist on people’s internet browsers and on people’s phones. It has real world impact.
And what happened is that the real world impact of that was that we then had hundreds of people descending on the town, descending on Southport from outside of the area, intent on causing trouble, either because they believe what they’ve written, or because they are bad faith actors who wrote it in the first place, in the hope of causing community division.

On Wednesday morning, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) paid tribute to the three girls killed, before condemning “shocking scenes of far-right rioters running amok outside a mosque”. The MCB called it an Islamophobic backlash that began with a false rumour on the internet.

Southport stabbing latest: rioting ‘thugs’ have disrespected victims’ families, local MP says

A mosque was attacked, a van set alight and 39 police officers were injured after rioting in the town

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

Rioters were from out of town, says police chief

Our colleagues on Radio 5 Live earlier spoke to the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell.

She says the rioters were from "out of town" - something local MP Patrick Hurley also said earlier.

"These individuals came into Southport, did not reflect the local population, and used the incident to incite violence and hatred, and it’s absolutely not something the people of Southport want or the families want," she says.

She adds: "My understanding from local people on the ground is that these were not local residents, these were individuals that came from out of town who had been stirred up online by the likes of the EDL [English Defence League], just looking for a fight."

Southport stabbings latest: Rioting thugs have disrespected victims' families, says Southport MP

Thirty-nine police officers were injured in Southport on Tuesday night and a vehicle set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Locals helping to clean up after late-night violence

Nicky Schiller
Reporting from Southport

I'm on the corner of Sussex Road and St Luke's Road watching a huge community effort to clean up the area after last night's violence.

There are a group of locals with brushes and brooms trying to clear up some of the debris. I heard one women say the dust that's lingering in the air "gets down your throat".

There are diggers and trucks being used to move some of the rubble, and all along the two streets, people are out doing what they can to clear up.

We've seen offers of help posted on social media from local businesses. This really feels like the people of Southport once again coming together.

Southport stabbings latest: Rioting thugs have disrespected victims' families, says Southport MP

Thirty-nine police officers were injured in Southport on Tuesday night and a vehicle set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Mother of girl stabbed to death in Southport calls for end to violence

Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, was killed alongside six-year-old Bebe King and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar in a horrific knife rampage on Monday at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop.

www.dailymail.co.uk

She said: 'This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight.

'The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don't need this.'

But as the community rallied together against the violence, Jenni Stancombe, the mother of little Elsie, pleaded for the violence to end on social media.

 

[katydid23]

On the basis of what we know at the moment I'm coming down on the side of this being a deliberately targetted attack rather the random killings of somebody suffering from a psychotic event. We know that he took a taxi straight to the venue, which argues in favour of this being targetted rather than random. The venue itself, The Hart Space, is on the first floor of the business centre. In British English that means that it's upstairs. He would have had to go into the business centre and go upstairs to The Hart Space, which again, makes this look like a targetted attack. But who has anything against primary school aged girls dancing to Taylor Swift and doing Yoga? That's the unfathomable thing. If it's the targetting of one particular child who was known to the perpetrator, that would be one way of making sense of this.

But who targets 8 yr old little girls? What could she possibly have done to him?

About The Space - The Hart Space

Well,where do we begin? The Hart Space is just a little bit special! This space has been developed with you in mind. No dusty floor or outdated decor, this is a place you can relax, feel at home and feel supported. The Hart Space is proud to call itself home to a variety of businesses […]

thehartspace.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

More than 50 officers injured, says Merseyside Police Federation

The chairman of the Merseyside Police Federation says it is "utterly disgusting" that more than 50 police officers were injured last night.

Chris McGlade says his "brave" colleagues sustained fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion.

The number of injured is higher than earlier reports of 39 injuries, with 27 officers taken to hospital.

McGlade adds that those involved will be "brought to justice for their actions".

Southport stabbings latest: Rioting thugs have disrespected victims' families, says Southport MP

Thirty-nine police officers were injured in Southport on Tuesday night and a vehicle set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1818545911447830970

 

[WiseOwl]

Absolutely appalling.The police had cared for bleeding and traumatised children the day before. Then they are attacked and children who are already upset and scared are having to hide inside their houses.

It was appalling, there was no respect for the victims, their families, the police, paramedics, and the people of Southport. In fact, they have no respect for anyone, just mindless thugs.

Everyone's thoughts should be with the victims and their families this week, and nothing else.

 

[sidsloth]

I know it's pedantic, but not sure why the media keep reporting them as members of the EDL when this has been disbanded. Sure the ethos might align, but these people are being fed a narrative by social media and even through parties such as Reform who have MPs in parliament; why not refer to these instead of a defunct and disbanded organisation? This can't be addressed whilst the media refuse to actually report the truth or acknowledge who's fanning the flames.

I do find the rioting abhorrent, but honestly it's not at all surprising- this was just the match that lit the powder keg. It's all very well the government releasing statements about how terrible it is and how they'll feel the full force of the law, but nothing about how to actually address what's going on. It's going to snowball, as has been said the summer weather always exasperates things too- this isn't the first violent 'protest' or whatever we're calling it this year and won't be the last sadly.

I do think the law needs to catch up with social media in some regards, sure there are valid reasons why people under 18 aren't named until/if a court decides it appropriate; but sadly people are going to speculate and that makes things worse. Not sure of the answer mind, I don't think the law should be changed because of people on social media being ignorant, but it's clearly not something that's going to go away.

Its all very heartbreaking.

All JMO of course.

 

[dotr]

Jul 31, 2024 SOUTHPORT
Tributes have been paid to three girls killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club, as hundreds of people gathered at a vigil to pay their respects.Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were all fatally stabbed in Southport, Merseyside, on Monday.Eight other children suffered stab wounds and five are in a critical condition, alongside two adults who were also critically injured, police said.

 

[cottonweaver]

More than 50 officers injured, says Merseyside Police Federation

The chairman of the Merseyside Police Federation says it is "utterly disgusting" that more than 50 police officers were injured last night.

Chris McGlade says his "brave" colleagues sustained fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose and concussion.

The number of injured is higher than earlier reports of 39 injuries, with 27 officers taken to hospital.

McGlade adds that those involved will be "brought to justice for their actions".

Southport stabbings latest: Rioting thugs have disrespected victims' families, says Southport MP

Thirty-nine police officers were injured in Southport on Tuesday night and a vehicle set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

It really is heinous.

I also noticed - on 29 July - that the thinktank British Futures ( a respectable thinktank) & academics who specialise in tracking disinformation were tracking back the first development of the rumours about the attacker.

News website Channel 3 Now picked up data from X, from anti-vax far-right accounts and from Russian Youtube accounts. From there it was disseminated and posted everywhere. SMH.

 

[ZeroAlpha]

It really is heinous.

I also noticed - on 29 July - that the thinktank British Futures ( a respectable thinktank) & academics who specialise in tracking disinformation were tracking back the first development of the rumours about the attacker.

News website Channel 3 Now picked up data from X, from anti-vax far-right accounts and from Russian Youtube accounts. From there it was disseminated and posted everywhere. SMH.

Yep, Russia was pushing the false narrative heavily which was picked up immediately by right-wing groups and individuals on Twitter.

 

[worldwatcher]

At least, one arrested has being made, yesterday - shortly and at short distance from the vigil

"A report was received at 6.50pm that a man had been seen with a knife on Eastbank Street.

Officers attended and a man was detained at around 6.55pm, and a flick knife recovered.

There are no reports anyone was injured during the incident.

A 32-year-old man from Standish was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article, and taken into custody."

https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ne...uly/man-arrested-after-incident-in-southport/

 

[ZeroAlpha]

I know it's pedantic, but not sure why the media keep reporting them as members of the EDL when this has been disbanded. Sure the ethos might align, but these people are being fed a narrative by social media and even through parties such as Reform who have MPs in parliament; why not refer to these instead of a defunct and disbanded organisation? This can't be addressed whilst the media refuse to actually report the truth or acknowledge who's fanning the flames.

I do find the rioting abhorrent, but honestly it's not at all surprising- this was just the match that lit the powder keg. It's all very well the government releasing statements about how terrible it is and how they'll feel the full force of the law, but nothing about how to actually address what's going on. It's going to snowball, as has been said the summer weather always exasperates things too- this isn't the first violent 'protest' or whatever we're calling it this year and won't be the last sadly.

I do think the law needs to catch up with social media in some regards, sure there are valid reasons why people under 18 aren't named until/if a court decides it appropriate; but sadly people are going to speculate and that makes things worse. Not sure of the answer mind, I don't think the law should be changed because of people on social media being ignorant, but it's clearly not something that's going to go away.

Its all very heartbreaking.

All JMO of course.

We are also in the midst of an information war which doesn't help matters. Anything that can undermine people's trust in government/authorities etc or forward extremist views is the goal.

 

[cottonweaver]

Yep, Russia was pushing the false narrative heavily which was picked up immediately by right-wing groups and individuals on Twitter.

I also saw it on WS before it was removed

What's that old saying?
Something like ' if you don't use your head... others will (use it) '

 

[jackal67]

I do suspect that in hindsight propping that door open may have been against protocol, even though it is understandable when it is as warm as it is. UK buildings are designed to keep heat in, with the temp as they are currently I can very imagine that room was boiling and with no air movement.

I agree most dont have aircon. Have to use fans same as at home.

 

[jackal67]

Especially in a dance and movement program a couple of hours long, the risk of heat related illness would be far higher than a random knife attacker. The studio just got the worst luck, for this to happen there, to them. They weren't negligent, the door was ajar to try to prevent those kids from being harmed. This wasn't a threat they could anticipate... There was no warning, it was like lightning from a clear sky, indiscriminate and brutal.

MOO

Unfortunately though I suspect there will likely be a H & S investigation . There are many safeguarding rules around children and settings that children attend. and Parents may well be wanting answers too ?