Far-right extremists in the UK used misinformation to stoke up hatred and fear which was used to orchestrate violent protests across the region.
The false story was about a stabbing incident where three girls were killed.
MAGA UK will use any lie to justify their violent actions against migrants.
The violence was most immediately triggered by the stabbing of a number of children in Southport, northwest England, earlier in the week – a rare and shocking incident that left three young girls dead and the country reeling.
The far-right seized on and spread a wave of disinformation about that incident, including false claims the suspected attacker was an immigrant, to mobilize anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant protests. Police say the suspect was born in Britain.
Fascists are served best when they can fear monger.
The NY Times has more:
More than 50 police officers were injured in the ensuing violence, as demonstrators threw bricks at a mosque, attacked the police, set cars on fire and damaged a convenience store.
Although some details of the unrest remain opaque, one thing is clear, according to the police, lawmakers and experts in online extremism: Disinformation and far-right agitators fueled the violence. Supporters of the English Defence League, an extremist anti-Islam organization, were part of a large group that attacked a mosque in Southport around 7.45 p.m., according to a statement from the Merseyside Police Service, which covers the region.
The rapid spread of misinformation about the attacker’s identity left the authorities fighting a two-pronged battle on Tuesday: one on the streets of Southport, where the police were pelted with bricks and other objects, and another online, where lawmakers, local officials and the police seemed powerless to halt viral falsehoods.
The UK PM quickly held a presser to denounce the violent uprising.
