Social media prime factor in UK riots

A violent riot sparked by a knife attack at a children's dance workshop in Southport, England, on July 29 has recently spread to many parts of the United Kingdom. Two children were killed and nine injured, six critically, in the ferocious knife attack. Two adults are also in a critical condition after being stabbed as they tried to protect the children, Merseyside police said.

After the incident, local police did not reveal the name of the murderer in accordance with the law because he was under 18 years old. Subsequently, various rumors began to circulate on the internet, suggesting that the murderer was a refugee who arrived in the UK last year to seek asylum.

The British court soon deprived the murderer of anonymity protection, and the police announced his real name, emphasizing that his birthplace was Cardiff. Despite the clarification by the British authorities, rumors continued to circulate on the internet.