English town of Southport mourns 9-year-old stabbing victim, calls for end to unrest
- Far-right activists have used misinformation about July 29 dance class attack that killed 3 girls as a pretext for anti-immigrant protests
The people of Southport, England, came together on Sunday for the first of the funerals for three girls killed during a dance class, remembering 9-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar’s radiant smile and calling for an end to the unrest that has convulsed Britain since the attack two weeks ago.
Hundreds of mourners packed St Patrick’s Catholic Church and spilled into the street outside, which had been decorated with pink ribbons and balloons in Alice’s honour. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy was among them and she delivered the parents’ message that no one should commit acts of violence in their daughter’s name.
“I am ashamed and I’m so sorry that you had to even consider this in the planning of the funeral of your beautiful daughter, Alice,” said Kennedy, who heads the Merseyside Police force, which covers the area around Liverpool. “And I hope that anyone who has taken part in the violent disorder on our streets over the past 13 days is hanging their head in shame at the pain that they have caused you, a grieving family.”
Rumours, later debunked, quickly circulated online that the suspect was an asylum seeker, or a Muslim immigrant. The suspect was born in Wales and moved to the Southport area in 2013. His parents were originally from Rwanda.
The violence calmed on Wednesday when far-right demonstrations anticipated in dozens of locations across Britain failed to materialise. Instead, peaceful anti-racism protesters showed up in force.
But on Sunday, the focus was on Alice.