After a fatal stabbing and far-right violence and disorder rocked the community of Southport , those living in the town and indeed the rest of the country have been celebrating positive news which has emerged from such appalling scenes – from a woman bravely confronting rioters with a “hope not hate” sign, to a number of people helping to repair a wall near the local mosque which was ripped down on Tuesday night.
Merseyside Police says 22 of its officers were injured following the violent scenes in the town, sparked by a stabbing at a Taylor Swift dance event on Monday which has claimed the lives of three young girls, and has seen a 17-year-old male arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Cars and wheelie bins were set alight, a local convenience store was damaged and bricks were thrown at a mosque.
One video of the disorder even captured a far-right rioter being hit in the back of the head – and, subsequently, in the gentials – by his own side amid the chaos.
Now, one clip which has gone viral from the town is that of individuals coming together to repair some of the damage caused by the far-right, with local news service On The Spot News (OTS News) quoting one individual who said of the action: “We’re fixing the damage that these scumbags did.”
OTS News also reports that around 100 community members worked to repair the damage to the mosque, and after more residents arrived to help, they were told that “much of the work has already been done”.
In a Twitter/X thread, they wrote: “It’s worth mentioning that to genuine residents this is not a surprising response.
“Take our own experience while we’ve reported the aftermath of Monday’s horrific atrocity. We saw children offering chocolate to policemen stood guard on the cordon. We saw residents outside their homes offering refreshments and crates of water to national media and well-wishers.
“We saw business [sic] offer services for free, we saw community spaces rush to open, offering safe spaces for quiet reflection.”
The outlet added that “at the first opportunity”, Southport residents chose to assemble in a “peaceful, solemn, respectful vigil” to pay their respects to the children killed in the tragedy.
Scenes of the community coming together following such violence has been commended by other Twitter/X users, who have described the images as “heartwarming” and what “makes you proud to be British”:
Public officials also praised the action, with chief constable of Merseyside Police, Serena Kennedy, describing it as “the very best of the communities of Southport”, and health secretary Wes Streeting writing that “this is who we are as a country”:
OTS News reports St Luke’s Road has already been cleared by the community – in a stark contrast to the “devastation” captured by Good Morning Britain ’s Richard Gaisford on Wednesday morning:
Speaking to ITV Granada , chairman of the mosque Ibrahim Hussein said he has been "moved to tears" by the kindness shown by the community.
Truly beautiful scenes.
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