London:Britain’s King Charles III traveled to Southport in northern England on Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims and families of those affected by a mass stabbing that sparked violent riots and racist attacks against Muslims and immigrants in the region. A 17-year-old carried out a series of stabbings last month, killing three girls outside a Taylor Swift-themed dance club, sparking riots when it was reported the suspect was a Muslim immigrant.
On a visit to Southport, the town where the attack took place, Charles met some of the surviving children and their families, before later meeting representatives of local emergency services and community groups. He was greeted by a cheering crowd as he went to view flowers and toys in memory of the murdered children: Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.
Charles praised the community spirit, compassion and resilience that countered the rioters’ aggression and criminality, and said he hoped mutual respect and understanding would continue to unite the nation. The 17-year-old, who police said was born in Britain, was charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a knife.
Far-right riots in the UK
The violence erupted on May 30 after social media reports that the suspected Southport attacker, who fatally stabbed three girls and injured ten others, was a radical Islamist who had recently arrived in Britain and was known to intelligence services. However, police said the 17-year-old suspect was born in Britain and they were not treating it as a terrorist incident. The suspect’s parents had moved to Britain from Rwanda.
The protests, mostly involving a few hundred people, have spread across the country, with shops being looted and mosques and Asian-owned businesses attacked. Cars have been set on fire and unverified videos on social media have shown ethnic minorities being beaten. After days of unrest, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said increased police presence and swift justice had deterred people he referred to as “far-right thugs.”
After ending his silence on the matter, Charles called for mutual respect and understanding and thanked the police for their efforts to restore peace, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said Friday. The spokesman said the king thanked the police and emergency services for their efforts to restore peace and welcomed the way community groups had countered “the aggression and criminality of a few… Her Majesty continues to hope that the shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.” The monarch also held telephone talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and police chiefs.
More than 1,000 arrested in recent riots
Charles also met police, paramedics and other emergency service workers who responded to the attack and the ensuing disorder. It was the worst UK rioting in more than a decade, resulting in around 1,100 arrests. The government promised that rioters who threw bricks at police, looted shops and attacked mosques and hotels used to house asylum seekers would feel the “full weight of the law”.
India, Australia and Nigeria were among countries issuing warnings on Monday to citizens living in or travelling to Britain. Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, was accused of being a Muslim immigrant and radical Islamist responsible for the fatal stabbing of three girls outside a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29. However, police said he was born in Wales in 2006 and moved to the Southport area in 2013.
(with contributions from agencies)
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