LONDON —
A woman and an 11-year-old girl were stabbed in a busy square in central London on Monday, and a man has been arrested in the attack, authorities said.
The attack occurred in Leicester Square, a magnet for tourists with its shops, theaters and cinemas; the square and surrounding area have an estimated 2.5 million visitors every week.
London’s Metropolitan Police said the girl and the 34-year-old woman were taken to a major trauma center. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
The stabbing occurred as Britain is on edge after recent days of violence as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police in multiple cities. The disturbances have been fueled by right-wing activists who used social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.
It was not immediately clear whether the stabbing had any link to the unrest.
Police had been braced for further riots over the weekend, but no widespread unrest emerged. Ministers remained on high alert, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said, adding its work was not done in dealing with the fallout from the violence.