UK authorities have arrested a 17-year-old for charging into a children’s dance class in Southport, England, and stabbing more than a dozen people, killing three children. Axel Rudakubana appeared in court charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and unlawful possession of a knife. He was remanded in custody at a youth facility, and his name was released upon the judge’s orders, despite British laws protecting the identity of suspects under 18.
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales, but is the son of Rwandan immigrants, a fact that has caused anti-mass migration activists to protest across the country. The 17-year-old’s alleged crime is one of several violent incidents perpetrated by immigrants in recent years, and protests against migration are becoming more common.
In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a crackdown on what he called “far-right thugs.” In a speech following the Southport atrocity, Mr. Starmer warned that law enforcement officers would monitor social media and use facial recognition technology to prevent protestors from traveling around the country. The Prime Minister also announced the establishment of a new national violent disorder unit, which will be responsible for identifying “far-right thugs” and preventing them from gathering anywhere in the UK.
Critics have slammed the measures as totalitarian, while others accused Starmer of two-tier law enforcement, with the most robust measures aimed at controlling the political activities of native Britons, while immigrants who riot are treated with kid gloves.
For instance, just weeks before the Southport murders, immigrants rioted in Yorkshire when social services took custody of a group of children for their own welfare, but with no comparable response from the government.
The horrifying Southport incident unfolded on July 29 when police were called to The Hart Space dance studio in the northwest England town, where young girls had gathered to learn Taylor Swift’s dance moves. The killer entered the property just before midday and began stabbing people indiscriminately. Over the course of the tragedy, Rudakubana allegedly murdered three children and left several in critical condition. The dead children were identified as 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elise Dot Stancombe, and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
