On the afternoon of Wednesday 22 May 2013, Drummer Lee Rigby was brutally murdered in Woolwich, south east London. After initial confusion in media reports, it emerged that Mr Rigby, a soldier, was attacked outside his barracks by two men, armed with knives and a meat cleaver, in what was described as a terrorist attack motivated by 'radical Islam'.
In the days following the attack Faith Matters, an organisation that works to reduce extremism, reported a sharp rise in anti-Muslim incidents and there were clashes between the English Defense League and anti-fascist protesters.
For some, the attack and the reactions that followed it are evidence that political attempts to promote a multicultural society based on acceptance and respect for cultural diversity have failed. For others, the incident is evidence that multiculturalism has not gone far enough in creating an inclusive society.
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