No, the attack in Southport, U.K., was not a false flag operation

Context

On July 29, 2024, in Southport, Merseyside, U.K., there was a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class for children aged six to ten. Three young girls died.

Following rumors and misinformation that the attacker was an illegal immigrant – which Logically Facts debunked – groups, thought to include far-right members, arrived at Southport and clashed with police. This unrest then spread across the country, causing violent riots, which far-right groups largely pushed.

Among this misinformation are several Facebook posts (archived here, here, and here) which assert that the Southport attack was a false flag operation and imply the U.K. government carried it out to push digital IDs. 

These posts make other claims to support their conclusion. These include allegations that the police went to the suspect's house before the attack, that the suspect is a paid actor, and that the suspect's family has connections to Rwandan government officials. 

There is no evidence that the Southport attack was a false flag event to push digital IDs. 

In fact

False flag claims have been made against past crisis events, including mass shootings and criminal attacks, but were found to be conspiracy theories with no basis in truth. According to fact-checkers Snopes, a false flag historically refers to the method of disguising one's identity or affiliation for war and espionage. However, the term's modern usage has been co-opted to brand conspiracy theories claiming that tragedies like school shootings are hoaxes staged by the government or by nefarious shadow organizations.

Misinformation spread rapidly following the Southport attack, with initial claims that the attacker was an illegal immigrant promoted by not only users but an outlet called Channel3Now, which published an article with the headline, "17-year-old Ali Al-Shakati arrested in connection with stabbings in Southport, England." 

According to an analysis by Logically, the parent company of Logically Facts, Channel3Now is a questionable source that capitalized on organic anti-immigrant discourse to exacerbate anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.K. by spreading the false name of the suspect. 

There is no evidence that the website is connected to the British government or linked to a false flag operation used to sow unrest.

The motivation behind the attack is still under investigation. Merseyside Police told Logically Facts that the motive is "subject to an ongoing investigation and we will be providing updates as appropriate."

Police searched a house in Banks, the village home of the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, shortly before his arrest was made public. However, there is no indication they were at the house before the attack took place. Footage shows someone pacing outside the property before the attack, and locals told The Independent that about two hours later, the police raided the house. The fact the police were present in the town does not substantiate the claim of a false flag, and news reports indicate that the police raided the house after the attack, not before.

There is no evidence now that Axel Rudakubana or his family are connected to high-level officials in the Rwandan Government. Axel's parents did come to the U.K. from Rwanda, but there is no information on their profession or background. Therefore, this claim is unsubstantiated.

Similarly, while it is true that Axel Rudakubana was an actor in a BBC Children in Need advert when he was 11 years old, there is no evidence that this is linked to the Southport attack or an indication of a false flag. It does not appear that he appeared in any further acting roles, and the BBC has removed this clip. 

The verdict

There is no evidence that the Southport attack was a false flag, and such claims are unsubstantiated. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.