After the singing and dancing, there was screaming. And then silence. Paramedics and firefighters crouched to the ground, ashen-faced, struggling to process the horror they had witnessed. The blue lights of their vehicles continued to flash two hours after the atrocity but their sirens were turned off. The only sound was from the police helicopter above.
More than a week later, Southport remains in a state of trauma. Many in the seaside town are struggling to come to terms not only with the barbarity of the 29 July attack, which left three young girls dead and several others in critical care, but also how its grief was so violently infringed a day later - first by far-right violence in the town and then by further online disinformation-fuelled disturbances across the country in the following days.
"There is a sense of horror and disbelief," said the Rev Marie-Anne Kent, whose church, St Philip and St Paul with Wesley, is around the corner from the Hart Space, the yoga studio where the holiday club attacks took place.
Kent, a Methodist minister, was speaking to the Guardian on the frontline of last Tuesday's riot, wearing her clerical collar, when a masked man shouted in her face: "Don't let Muslims in. They need to fuck off out of our country."
Horrified and shaken, she said: "I came down to pray for our Muslim brothers and sisters. This is appalling. This isn't Southport."
Kent was speaking last Friday, after the violence had spread to other towns and cities, with further shocking scenes to follow last weekend.
Denne historien er fra August 09, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra August 09, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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When it comes to a good savoury crumble it's all down to the detail
\"Savoury crumbles are a really good idea, so I don't get why we don't make them more often,\" says Esther Clark, who writes The Good Home Cook Substack. As Clark notes: \"Crumbles are incredibly forgiving: they go into one tin, there's barely any washing-up, and they freeze well, making them a good weeknight number.\"
Generation game An American's view of life in China during the turbulent Covid years, through the eyes of his curious, jaded students
When Peter Hessler, the celebrated chronicler of Chinese society, arrived at Sichuan University in the autumn of 2019, he was expecting to take a break from writing. Hessler made his name as a journalist documenting the lives of everyday people during China's boom years in the early 2000s.
Claims to fame Will this sympathetic biography of a failed pop star help its enigmatic protagonist find the status his stoicism deserves?
In 2004, the British journalist Chris Heath spent more than a year shadowing Robbie Williams's every movement for his book on the singer, Feel. If this was above and beyond the usual requirements of a biographer, you could see why he thought it might pay off. We tend to be fascinated by success, and the cost that fame can exact upon the individual. And so who better to take such an approach with than both the biggest pop star of his generation and the most self-critical?
Heartfelt home truth An extraordinary portrait of a 1950s American housewife, based on the diaries of Will Self's mother in an act of filial generosity
Will Self has a history of gonzo premises. He has written novels set in the afterlife, in a world ruled by chimpanzees, in a post-apocalyptic society based on the misogynist rantings of a London cabby.
'My dance is a kind of prayer'
After success in France, choreographer Qudus Onikeku has returned to Nigeria to bring new life to Lagos's dance scene and to mastermind a pan-African creative awakening
The lighter side of grief A romcom where love never dies
Marrying your dead fiance may be taboo, but Colin Hanks and director Daniel Reisinger hope their new film will help those coming to terms with their own loss
Look who's back in anger
Will an Oasis reunion be a success? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Maybe, say Guardian arts writers
Voters rejected Macron. Why is he still trying to dictate who governs us?
After the electoral turbulence of June and July, few in France imagined that we would be heading into September without a new prime minister appointed to reflect the results of July's parliamentary elections.
Forget the clothes-eating critters-we should love moths in all their beauty
Let me start with a confession: I love moths. If your instant reaction to that statement is a shudder and expression of dislike (or worse), be assured that you're not alone. It is the commonest response I get. But moths are extremely important and beautiful creatures, and we should all love them.
Is Starmer's 'reset' with Europe enough to undo Brexit damage?
Every prime minister has their verbal tell-tales. \"Reset\" is a favourite Starmerism. When he visited Berlin last week to pave the way to a bilateral co-operation treaty, the prime minister said he was there as part of a \"wider reset\" in Britain's relations with Europe. There was the same message when he journeyed on to Paris for a grip, grin and chat with Emmanuel Macron. I see why he's fond of the word. \"Reset\" conveys new thinking, a fresh start and altered priorities, while being conveniently vague about the direction of travel or the ultimate destination.
