Murder, Fake News & Violence: How Race Riots Spread Across the UK?

How fake news about a killer's identity led to widespread 'race riots' in the UK? Watch.

How fake news about a killer's identity led to massive 'race riots' in the UK? Watch.

(Photo: The Quint)

The UK is currently witnessing its worst riots in over a decade, and it all started with disinformation regarding the identity of the teenage suspect in the Southport murder cases.

How did the fake news spark off the racial violence, and what's happening in the UK now?

Watch The Quint's explainer on YouTube to find out.

What Happened in UK?

On 29 July, a 17-year-old boy allegedly brutally murdered three young girls — aged 6, 7, and 9 — using a 'kitchen knife', at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport, a coastal city near Liverpool, and about 350 kilometers away from the capital, London.

At least eight other kids and two adults were also injured in the attack, with at least five kids left fighting for their lives.

Since the teenager was under 18, his identity was not released by the police, as per the UK laws. Soon, disinformation spread online that the killer was a "Muslim", and an "asylum seeker".

This lead to massive protests, many of which turned violent, with rioters targeting mosques and homes of people of colour, in and around Southport.

Within days, violent race riots engulfed the UK, with reports of clashes, arson and vandalism in major cities such as London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Bristol, among others.

While the police refused the 'Islamic identity' of the attacker, this failed to quell the riots.

Ultimately, a judge at Liverpool Crown Court ruled on Thursday, August 1, that the minor suspect's identity be released to stop the spread of fake news. The 17-year-old suspect turned out to be Axel Rudakubana, a British national of Rwandan origin, born in Cardiff, who turned 18 on August 7.

However, the riots continued, and people of colour continued to come under attack.

On Sunday, 4 August, hostel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham was also attacked by an armed, violent mob, on Sunday.

As of 10 August, at least 600 people have been arrested in the UK, with more than 150 arrests being made in the capital, London, itself.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised communities they "will be safe", as he ordered deployment of 6,000 specialist police officers to quell unrest.

He had earlier condemned the violence as "far-right thuggery", and said those responsible will "face the full force of the law."

Starmer Faced Similar Challenge in 2011 Riots

Thirteen years ago, in August 2011, Starmer found himself in a similar situation when riots sparked off after the police shot a Black man, Mark Duggan, in London.

As the then director of public prosecutions, Starmer had kept the courts open 24/7 to process the offenders.

Meanwhile, even as thousands also held anti-racism protests on August 7, to counter the far-right rallies; the UK remains on high alert.

Watch the full explainer on YouTube now.