SOUTHPORT, UK and SANTA MONICA – Only July 29th, 2024 a 17 year-old man, with a knife, calmly walked into a dance studio that was filled with little kids (mostly girls) and their families. The children were participating in a Taylor Swift-inspired dance and yoga class. Throughout the morning, the children were seemingly sharing friendship bracelets before the man arrived.
Before he was stopped, the teen-ager had mortally wounded three people and seriously wounded almost 10 other people.
Across the United Kingdom, there was outrage. How could anyone murder these young innocents? The question was asked across social media and the Internet. In the UK, authorities do not release the names of minors who have committed crimes. For two days, the British authorities did not release the accused assailant’s name. Only that he was from Wales.
The online rumors and misinformation began to swirl. The rumors were that the suspected killer was a Muslim. An illegal immigrant. An asylum seeker – someone who is a drain on the system and didn’t belong in the UK.
Three days after the attack and with tensions mounting, newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, issued a statement warning social media companies about their responsibility to uphold the laws and stop the spread of misinformation that incites violence.
By then, the rumors had already taken hold IRL. People had already drank the Kool-Aid and were gathering their forces of chaos. A Reuters analysis of social media posts claiming the suspect was an asylum seeker or an immigrant has been viewed almost 16 million times across X (formerly twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms.
Riots across the United Kingdom
The BBC reports that riots broke out across the UK related to the spread of misinformation. First, the riots started in Southport. Then spread to Hartlepool, Manchester, Aldershot, and London.
Online disinformation was “a huge driver for this appalling violence,” said Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council, B.J. Harrington.
So far, at least 400 people have been arrested. UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer called the riots, “far-right thuggery.”
I’m not excusing the behavior of the rioters. But we ignore their growing unrest and dissent at our own peril. The people rioting are upset. They are tired of paying high prices to put food on their tables. They are disillusioned with the employment opportunities they have. They are afraid of AI and technology but are tied to it like a drug addict to crystal meth. They also see an established way of life disappearing before their very eyes. They should be spoken with and their grievances should be acknowledged and addressed.
Oscar Wilde once wrote: “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” If Mr. Wilde were alive today, would he say: “Life imitates social media more than social media imitates life”?
An unaccepting woman
Hours ago, a 55-year-old woman was arrested for posting inaccurate information on social media about the identity of the assailant who allegedly murdered the three girls in Southport. The woman, from the Chester area of the UK, was arrested for suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred and false communications, according to the Independent in the UK.
An unfortunate connection
Taylor Swift was scheduled to pay three consecutive shows in Vienna, Austria. Her fans looked forward to the performances scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
According to CNN, three people have been arrested for plotting a suicide attack against the concert goers who are mostly female. CNN also reported that the “US issued a warning” to authorities in Vienna about the pending attack.
The three teen-agers are suspected of being radicalized online. One of the would-be attackers uploaded an Oath of Allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State, Billboard reports.
Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that one of the teenage suspects confessed to plans to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
On Tuesday, some British lawmakers expressed their interest in having Elon Musk, owner of “X”, brought before the British Parliament to answer questions about the role his social media platform “X” during the increased unrest in the U.K.
Some content courtesy of the BBC, NYT, WAPO, The Independent, CNN, YouTube, Reuters, Instagram, The Soufan Center, the Associated Press, Politico, Times of India, and TMX.
