The woman accused of being first to spread the fake rumours about the Southport killer which sparked nationwide riots has been arrested.

Racist riots spread across the country after misinformation spread on social media claiming the fatal stabbing was carried out by Ali Al-Shakati, believed to be a fictitious name, a Muslim aslyum seeker who was on an MI6 watchlist.

A 55-year-old woman from Chester has now been arrested on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred, and false communication. She remains in police custody.

Chief Superintendent Alison Ross said: ‘We have all seen the violent disorder that has taken place across the UK over the past week, much of which has been fuelled by malicious and inaccurate communications online.

  • cybervseas@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    95
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    5 months ago

    One false statement by a random woman was like a match lighting the powder keg. I kinda always figured the British were less racist than us Americans…

    • USSMojave@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      40
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      5 months ago

      They INVENTED modern imperialism, first trialling it in the “Irish plantations” starting in the 16th century, long before America’s colonies. If one could go back in time to stop anything…

    • norimee@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      5 months ago

      Migration was the one big issue that carried Brexit. It made them all forget anything else and blindly believe brexiters, if only there were no more brown people coming into the country.

      It was the racist vote.

      But besides that, there is racism everywhere. How its dealt with is the difference. I’m personally very glad to see the big counter protests now. They have become too confident to be loud about their hate again and we all have to put them back into their place, making it clear that this is not acceptable.

    • kikutwo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Check out the Catholic versus Protestant angle there, always good for a row.

    • Aceticon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      I lived for over a decade in Britain and had both afro-descendant and muslim friends who were discriminated against over there, even before Brexit.

      Even I got discriminated against because of being Portuguese (though nowhere are much as they did).

      Britain has for long been one of the most rightwing countries in Europe, it’s just that they’re very good at image management and their far right leaders are posh types with upper class education and accents, not slang-using rabble rousing loudmouths with low-class accents.

      Brexit didn’t happen in a vacuum.

    • someguy3@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      It’s a real mixed bag from what I know. They got rid of slavery much earlier, I don’t think they have the baggage of Jim Crow that US frankly still has. Afaik black people were more accepted in society. But the recent immigration trend changed things and there is real anti Islam sentiment afaik. I’m really not that well versed in it though.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        They replaced slavery with indentured servitude.

        They didn’t got rid of slavery, they got rid of chattel slavery (with the State paying massive amounts of money to the slave owners) and replaced it with a different kind based on debt.

        Just like the idea that Britain isn’t racist, the idea that Britain were the first to end slavery is Image Management Propaganda Bollocks anchored on misrepresenting what actually happens.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        I’m Portuguese, lived almost a decade in The Netherlands and then over a decade in Britain.

        It’s funny that after some years in Britain, on my own I reached the exact same conclusions as this guy who is local born and bred.

    • SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      I always like to say that the USA kept all the worst parts of British culture. That’s not to say that Americans aren’t decent generally speaking. Just that…idk…imperialistic tendencies, systemic racism, highly stratified social class dynamics, random violence…kinda shitty politics dominated by 2 parties who are centre/right and shifting further right.

    • protist@mander.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      The British Empire was an egalitarian paradise, imo

      Edit: I guess I have to add an /s lmao