Axel Rudakubana, then 17, unleashed an attack on 30 July during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class – in the chaotic hours following the incident, misinformation began spreading online
How misinformation about the Southport murders sparked violent race riots across the country
The summer race riots that engulfed the nation in waves of violence had a grim and harrowing spark – a mass stabbing at a dance class in the seaside town of Southport, carried out by a teenager.
Axel Rudakubana, then 17, unleashed an attack on 30 July during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, murdering three children and injuring eight others. The tragedy sent shockwaves throughout the country.
In the chaotic hours following the incident, misinformation began spreading online. Social media posts alleged that the attacker was a 17-year-old asylum seeker who had recently arrived in the country by boat, igniting a divisive narrative that fueled anger and unrest nationwide.
Among the accounts to peddle such claims was influencer Andrew Tate, who claimed the attacker was an “illegal migrant” and urged people to “wake up”, while Darren Grimes of GB News criticised MPs for calling “for more ‘refugees’ to be allowed in” on the same day as the attack.
How misinformation about the Southport murders sparked violent race riots across the country
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/southport-murder-riots-axel-rudakubana-b2683105.html