Simmering tensions surrounding immigration policy in the UK -- touched off by a brutal stabbing of children in Southport -- have led to widespread protests. August 7, 2024.
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
(London) – Tragedy struck in Southport, England on July 29, 2024. A children’s dance workshop — in a Taylor Swift theme — was attacked. A 17-year-old man, later identified as Axel Rudakuban, the son of immigrants from Rwanda. Authorities have not released much about Rudakuban or what his alleged motivations were in carrying out his brutal attack.
The carnage left three children — ages 6, 7, and 9 — dead. Their murders couldn’t be stopped despite parents and people nearby rushing in to try and stop it. A responding police officer reportedly hesitated at first because the only gear on hand was a baton. The attacker was armed with a large knife. Ten others, including eight children, were hurt in the attack. One of the organizers that jumped in to try and stop the carnage was left critically wounded.
Given Rudakuban’s status as the child of immigrants — and the way towns like Southport have changed in the past 20 years — the murders have stirred up simmering tension and disagreement over the nation’s policies. Specifically, many have said that there has been noted uptick in immigration from predominantly Muslim nations, throughout the UK. That’s perhaps especially true in Southport, as the average age among “ethnic English” has steadly risen — with younger residents moving out in large numbers.
Furthermore, there’s anger and resentment from some in terms of how authorities are responding to the ongoing protests. To be clear, they have gotten violent at times — in at least one instance a police car was torched. And angry, chanting groups descended on a migrant shelter in one case. But UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed a harsh crackdown on those involved — including some people who are expressing anti-immigration views online. And that’s lead to some saying the UK has a “two tier” system to policing, when comparing past instances of uprising to this current reality.
For months, dating back to October 7, 2023, pro-Palestine and anti-Israel groups have routinely rallied in spots around the UK. At times they have gotten chaotic and violent. Those protests were hardly met with a similar response from UK authorities. That’s doubly true of riots or protests that unfolded in 2020 — in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement — and raging tensions after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Much like here in the US, there’s widespread disagreement over immigration policy. The more left-leaning sentiment holds that people protesting are largely xenophobic or racist, and perhaps anti-Muslim. Those on the political right, or people who object to widespread immigration for various reasons, say there are problems for society when immigration is unchecked or unvetted.
