Riots, fuelled by disinformation, erupted over the country overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday night after three children were tragically stabbed and killed during a dance class on Monday, July 29, 2024.
A website posing as a news organisation falsely claimed the suspect was named ‘Ali Al-Shakati,’ an asylum seeker who arrived by boat last year, and claims that police have discredited.
It’s a criminal offence to identify a suspect who is a minor until legal proceedings have been completed.
These falsehoods, amplified by far-right groups online, sparked violent protests outside a mosque in Southport and across the country.