Blame Farage and far right for fuelling Southport fictions

Rather than viewing Monday's horrifying attack in Southport, in which three young girls were killed, as an occasion for mourning, the UK far right viewed it as an opportunity to cause more havoc and hurt, and attempt to further their vile ideology.

- SEAN O'GRADY

The English Defence League (EDL) an Islamophobic pressure group once headed by Tommy Robinson – took to the streets in a display of violence and arson, injuring 53 police officers in the process.

Footage of the incident has surfaced on Twitter, including a particularly memorable clip of one rioter being accidentally hit a couple of times – once in the head and once where it really, really hurts – by two bricks seemingly launched by one of his fellow protesters. As cathartic or amusing as we might find the video, it is a reminder of the disorganisation and chaos that accompanies such groups wherever they go.

This isn’t the first time a far-right protest has turned violent. Just last year 145 people were arrested following a clash with police at the Cenotaph on Armistice day, with many of those arrested belonging to far-right groups, including the EDL. The pattern we see whenever these groups decide to congregate is clear and immensely disturbing – not least because the harm visited on this grieving community seems to have been spurred on by a toxic brew of lies and misinformation.

All we know about the perpetrator of the Southport attack – and all we need to know at this stage in a serious criminal investigation – is that he was 17, born in Cardiff but moved to near Southport when he was younger. We do not know his religion, or his politics, or the state of his mental health. All of that will eventually come out through proper orderly process in court.