Over the past six days, riots and violence have broken out in cities across the UK.
The unrest began in Southport on Tuesday, the day after three girls were killed in a knife attack in the Merseyside town.
Crowds of people, many from outside the city, threw bricks, set fires and threw bottles at police and a local mosque. More than 50 police officers were injured.
Police said at the time that many of the rioters were far-right sympathizers, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer later described the escalating violence as “right-wing extremist violence”.
Since then, protests have taken place in London, Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Bolton and Northern Ireland.
Why did it start?
Nine-year-old Alice DaSilva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were killed in an attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport last Monday.
Eight other children and two adults were also injured.
A 17-year-old boy from Cardiff was arrested; however, Merseyside Police were initially legally prohibited from using his name because he was under 18.
False claims began circulating on the internet, including the false assumption that he was an asylum seeker. Some have also claimed the suspect came to the UK by boat last year, which is also false.
He was also incorrectly referred to as a “Muslim immigrant” and given the pseudonym “Ali Al Shakati”.
The false claims included a call to join a “protest” in Southport the day after the knife attack, which was reposted on Telegram and X, seen by millions.
Amidst all the speculation, the court lifted the anonymity requirement for the suspect, naming him Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents.
In court, he was charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a knife.
False information spread online
The rumours were fuelled by several far-right figures, including Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tait, who posted on social media. Separately, Nigel Farage questioned the credibility of police who said the attack was not “terror-related”.
“I wonder if the truth is being hidden. I don’t know the answer to that, but I think it’s a fair and legitimate question,” he said in a video. Accounts under the names @europeinvasionn and @endwokeness also posted false information, influencing millions on X and Telegram.
Over the next few days, anti-immigration protesters caused chaos in cities and towns across the country. Mosques, libraries and public advice centres were attacked. Over the weekend, a hotel staying asylum seekers was attacked.
So far, more than 140 arrests have been made across the country; police made 43 arrests in Middlesbrough alone. Police officers were injured, some knocked unconscious, as they tried to push back the mobs.
Dr. Tim Squirrel, an expert on right-wing extremism and disinformation at the Institute that the unrest was not surprising.
“Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment has been simmering under the surface for a long time, sometimes boiling over,” he said, noting that in recent years, protests have taken place semi-regularly at venues associated with both groups.
“The far-right is extremely skilled at cynically exploiting tragedies to take to the streets and try to bring about political change,” he added.
“So if you already have certain opinions about Muslims or other vulnerable groups, and your beliefs are so strong that you take to the streets, it doesn’t matter if recent events are relevant.”
Psychologist Chris Cocking, who specializes in crowd behavior at the University of Brighton, said riots are “complex collective processes.”
He added that there are three main criteria: the initial triggering events, the broader social context of “powerlessness and disillusionment”, and the specific triggers in each location – often a misstep by the police – that lead to a change in crowd behaviour from protest to “full-scale riot”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a COBRA crisis conference on Monday, warning that those involved in “right-wing extremist atrocities” will regret their actions and “feel the full force of the law”.
Counter-protests took place in many places, often attracting far more participants than the right-wing extremist presence could provide, and sometimes ending in clashes.
Although the identity of the Southport suspect was discovered, the unrest continued and immigrant and Muslim residential areas continued to be attacked.
When asked why this would be the case, Dr Liseon replied: “I think it’s important to understand that Islam is a religion, not a religion. It’s a religion that is not a religion, but a religion that is not a religion. It’s a religion that is not a religion, it’s …