U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken “swift action” against the “far-right” protests and riots that occurred across the country in the aftermath of the mass stabbing that resulted in the deaths of three children and critical injury of 10 others. Axel Rudakubana was arrested at the scene, and later charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Rudakubana was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents originally from Rwanda.
Following the arrest of three protesters in Liverpool, Starmer responded to a Sky News report by saying that anyone engaging in disorder, including online, would face prosecution. He posted on X, “This is the swift action we’re taking. If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law.”
Starmer’s opposition to the public response following the mass stabbing contrasts with his support of the 2020 riots following the death of George Floyd. As leader of the opposition, he supported those protests. He asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urge then-President Donald Trump to respect the right to protest, stating:
The last week has shone a spotlight on the racism, discrimination, and injustice experienced by those from black and minority ethnic communities in the U.S., in the U.K., and across the world. Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That’s why today I have written to the Prime Minister asking for his assurance that the British Government is doing all that it can to urge President Trump to respect human rights and the fundamental, democratic right to peaceful protest.
