Faith leaders come together to condemn summer violence in Liverpool and Southport

Faith leaders across Liverpool and the wider city region have come together to condemn violent scenes that gripped the area in the summer and offer a message of hope for the future. Representatives from the Catholic Church and Merseyside’s Jewish and Muslim communities spoke at Liverpool Town Hall to show solidarity following the tragic deaths of three girls in Southport in July and the unrest that followed.

In the aftermath of the deaths of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, disorder gripped the streets of Southport as well as County Road in Walton and the Strand in Liverpool city centre. Around 100 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, 68 charged and 51 sentenced to nearly 100 years in prison due to their involvement.

Addressing the first meeting of Liverpool Council since then, representatives told councillors how they wanted communities to stand together in the face of unsavoury scenes just weeks ago. Among the speakers was Bishop Tom Leylon, assistant catholic bishop of Liverpool.

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He said: “I join with you in offering our heartfelt sympathy to the families of the three young girls, Bebe, Elsie and Alice, who died in Southport at the end of July. The vandalism and violence following the vigil was both surprising and shocking, resources that had been deployed to attend those injured on the Monday had to respond to disturbing events that followed.

“The response of the faith communities and people of good will was no more than could be expected in this part of the country. Much has been done in the city and the region to heal the religious divisions of the past so we can work together for the good of all who live and work here.”

It was revealed in the council’s own documents how Muslim, refugee and migrant communities have been “scared to leave their homes” amid the violence, an issue underlined by Imam Ahmed Ali of the Al-Rahma mosque in Toxteth. He said: “We stand here together as always, united against atrocious efforts that took place in Southport and we are united with those families who have lost their loved ones.

“The people and Muslims within the city of Liverpool have had a lot of concern regarding the riots, which is a city of harmony, a city that welcomes everyone and had a rich cultural history that exists here. They do have concerns, they have been quite scared, frightened, especially the women and those who wear the headscarves and hijabs.

“We have seen great support from councillors, MPs and the police force so we thank them very much for their support.”

Barry Levene, President of the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council, said: “The events, firstly in Southport, but subsequently in parts of this city in August, with the brutal killing of three young girls, then the unprovoked disorder by a small minority all deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“Equally the coming together of communities of all races, religions, creeds and colours in response show how we all stand united for the values of democracy and decency.” Mr Levene ended his contribution with a message of hope, ahead of the Jewish New Year.

He said: “Let us hope that out of the darkness that followed those killings, we can all find ways to help one another, not only to rebuild physical structures, but also to cement friendships and alliances to take us forward together in years ahead.”

Council Leader Liam Robinson said: “I know I speak on behalf of all of us, that this council and this city will never be divided by hate, by racism and Islamophobia. The events of those days at the start of August hurt us in this city, hurt us right across this country. We won’t allow a small minority of mindless thugs, insulting the memory of the terrible instance of three young girls being killed just up the road in Southport, in our own region, to win. Hatred, racism, Islamophobia has no place in this city and the vast majority of people in this city, roundly, truly reject it.”

Cllr Carl Cashman, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “This moves beyond political boundaries and borders and we’re all on the same page on how we feel about those riots and how we moved forward. That’s how we beat hate and division, through hope and love.

”Some people may believe the reasons behind these riots were different and I strongly believe we need to be careful not to label these riots as far right protests. Many of the people involved were young kids, mindless thugs and people who just wanted to cause trouble. Most people joined these riots as an opportunity to simply cause chaos and we really do actually need a conversation about that, why it happened and why it happened so easily.”