General
Covering the U.K. Riots Amid Disorder and Misinformation
Megan Specia, who is based in London, discusses the countrywide protests that began largely because of false information online.
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On July 29, a knife-wielding assailant went on a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England. Three young girls — ages 6, 7 and 9 — were killed and 10 others, including children, were wounded.
The next day, Megan Specia, a New York Times reporter who covers Britain and Ireland, traveled from London to Southport, where she found a community in mourning.
“Everyone I was speaking with was really rattled,” she said. “This happened in a residential area in a pretty quiet town. There was a real sense of ‘How did this happen here?’”
Misinformation rapidly propagated on social media and messaging apps, which claimed that the person who carried out the attack was a Muslim asylum seeker who had recently arrived in the United Kingdom. A false name even circulated briefly. In reality, the suspect was a 17-year-old who was born in Cardiff, Wales. The police have not disclosed a motive.
Still, the misinformation had done damage: After a vigil for the victims on July 30, anti-immigrant rioters in Southport destroyed property and set fire to police cars. Almost 40 officers were injured. Anti-immigrant sentiment reached a boiling point over the weekend, stoking violent protests in more than a dozen towns and cities across the United Kingdom. A heavy police presence and large crowds of counterprotesters met them in response.
And on Wednesday, thousands of extra police officers mobilized across the country amid fears of further riots. Instead, thousands of antiracism protesters gathered again. Only a few arrests were made. But the country remains on alert.
