LONDON—Protesters hurled bottles and stones at police, wounding more than 20 officers Tuesday outside a northwest England mosque near where three girls were fatally stabbed a day earlier.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “thuggery” and said the crowd had hijacked what had earlier been a peaceful vigil attended by hundreds in the center of Southport to mourn the dead and 10 surviving stabbing victims, seven of whom were in critical condition.
Police said the violent crowd that torched a police van and several cars was believed to be supporters of the English Defence League and the mayhem was inspired by rumors about the identity of the teenage suspect arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
“There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said.
Police previously said a suspect’s name circulating on social media was incorrect and the boy was born in Britain, contrary to online claims he was an asylum seeker.
The Liverpool Region Mosque Network posted a statement decrying the “heinous” stabbing as an attack against society that was unconnected to Islam.
“A minority of people are attempting to portray that this inhumane act is somehow related to the Muslim community,” the group said on the X social media platform. “Frankly it is not, and we must not let those who seek to divide us and spread hatred use this as an opportunity.”
Officers outside the Southport Mosque in riot gear were pelted with bricks torn from garden walls in the residential neighborhood by members of the crowd, some of whom wore masks, amid chants of “No surrender!” and “English till I die!” Firecrackers exploded, sirens wailed and a helicopter hovering overhead added to the chaos.
Twenty-two officers were hurt, with eight suffering from more serious injuries that included fractures, lacerations and a concussion. Two police dogs were wounded by bricks and a third suffered burns.
A day earlier, a short distance from the turmoil, the girls had taken part in a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop on the first week of summer vacation when a teen armed with a knife entered the studio and began a vicious attack, police said.
“It’s difficult to comprehend or put into words the horror of what happened,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said while briefing members of Parliament. “What should have been a joyful start to the summer turned into an unspeakable tragedy.”
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, died from their injuries, police said.
“Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our princess,” Alice’s parents said in a statement released by police. “Like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that.”
Bebe’s family said no words could describe their devastation at the loss “of our little girl Bebe.”
Eight children and two adults remained hospitalized after the attack in Southport. Both adults and five of the children were in critical condition.
An emotional crowd that gathered in Southport outside The Atkinson theater and museum in the early evening held a minute of silence for the victims.
June Burns, the mayor of the Sefton region that contains Southport, called for calm and respect and urged people to be good to one another. She said she was overcome with emotion when she visited the scene of the tragedy earlier.
“It’s unbelievable that we find ourselves laying flowers for little girls who just wanted to dance,” she said.
Swift said earlier on Instagram that she was “completely in shock” and still taking in “the horror” of the event.
“These were just little kids at a dance class,” she wrote. “I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
People left flowers and stuffed animals in tribute at a police cordon on the street lined with brick houses in the seaside resort near Liverpool where the beach and pier attract vacationers. They also posted online messages of support for teacher Leanne Lucas, the organizer of the event, who was one of those attacked.
The 17-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder shortly after the attacks just before noon. Police said he was born in Cardiff, Wales, and had lived for years in a village about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Southport. He has not yet been charged.