08/08 – International News Story

Several British cities experienced widespread unrest and violent protests over the last week. The violence followed the tragic murder of three young girls in the town of Seaport in northwest England, marking the country’s most significant rioting in 13 years. 

Three girls — Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine — were fatally stabbed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. The attack also injured 10 others, some critically.

A 17-year-old male was arrested, and he was later revealed to be born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda. [Politico]

Riots erupted in various towns and cities involving hundreds of anti-immigration protesters. These protests were fueled by alleged misinformation spread on social media, falsely claiming that the suspect in Monday’s knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport was a radical Muslim migrant. The police clarified that the suspect, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, was born in Britain. Despite this, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim protests continued, leading to violence, arson, and looting. [Reuters] 

From Friday to Sunday, violent demonstrators gathered in city and town centers across the UK, intent on clashing with police and causing chaos. The gatherings, initially anti-immigration marches, were organized through social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, and Telegram, quickly escalating into disorder and violence. [CNN] 

The cities of Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, and Belfast saw significant public demonstrations, with clashes between anti-immigration protesters and anti-racism groups. Some confrontations involved young men hurling bricks and bottles, resulting in numerous injuries to police officers attempting to separate the opposing groups.

In Liverpool, two police officers were hospitalized with suspected facial fractures, and another officer was assaulted after being pushed from his motorbike. The city witnessed approximately 750 protesters and an equal number of counter-protesters, according to Merseyside Police, who oversee the northwestern city. Police also reported that at least two shops in Liverpool were vandalized and looted. Similar incidents occurred in Bristol, where anti-racist demonstrators outnumbered anti-immigration protesters. TV footage showed them confronting police in riot gear.

In Belfast, businesses reported property damage, and at least one establishment was set on fire. Rahmi Akyol, a local cafe owner, expressed confusion over why his business was attacked by dozens wielding bottles and chairs. “I’ve lived here for 35 years. My kids, my wife, are from here. I don’t know what to say, it’s terrible,” he said. [Reuters] 

Two Holiday Inn hotels, one in Rotherham, northern England, and another in Tamworth, central England, were set on fire by protesters. Both hotels housed asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their claims. 

According to South Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield, the Rotherham hotel was “full of terrified residents and staff.” In Tamworth, rioters threw projectiles, smashed windows, and started fires, injuring a police officer, as reported by local authorities. In Rotherham, protesters used wooden planks, fire extinguishers against officers, set fires near the hotel, and smashed windows to enter the building. [CNN] 

Violence also erupted in Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Stoke-on-Trent, and several other cities, predominantly in the Midlands and northern England. The Home Office announced on Sunday that UK mosques were receiving increased security due to these incidents. [CNN] 

On Friday Aug 2, Sunderland witnessed anti-immigration protesters throwing stones at police near a mosque, overturning vehicles, setting a car on fire, and starting a blaze near a police station. Mark Hall, the chief police superintendent of the Sunderland area, described the incident as “unforgivable violence and disorder,” stating that it was not a protest but sheer chaos. More protests were expected on Sunday. [Reuters] 

Police report that nearly 400 individuals have been arrested following six days of riots across parts of England and Northern Ireland. On Monday evening, police in Plymouth faced attacks while trying to separate rival protesters, officers in Belfast were targeted with petrol bombs, and authorities managed unrest in eastern Birmingham. [BBC] 

Just over the weekend, more than 370 individuals were arrested in connection with the violence, and this number is expected to rise as law enforcement continues to identify and apprehend those involved, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the UK’s national law enforcement body. [CNN] 

Throughout the past week, numerous police officers have sustained injuries, and there has been significant damage to shops, cars, and homes due to the disorder in the UK. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing a significant challenge just a month after his election, condemned the “far-right” for inciting violence and supported the police in taking decisive action. His office reported that he discussed the unrest with senior ministers on Saturday. [Reuters] 

Reform U.K., the populist right-wing party led by Nigel Farage, has publicly condemned the recent riots, distancing itself from the events and criticizing the “levels of violence seen in the last couple of days.” [Politico]

Starmer stated from Downing Street, “People in this country have a right to be safe, yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques, other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, and wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric.” He added, “I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: Far-right thuggery.” [CNN] 

This crisis has abruptly ended Starmer’s post-election honeymoon, prompting MPs from across the political spectrum to urge him to recall Parliament for a debate on the riots. The Parliament is currently in summer recess, however Starmer’s spokesperson stated that the government is focused on responding to the unrest.

According to PA Media, Parliament has been recalled six times in the past decade, but only once to address a live crisis unrelated to the Covid-19 pandemic—the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021. 

Tech Platform Outrage

X’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk, provoked outrage in the British government over the weekend by stating that “civil war is inevitable” in response to footage of far-right unrest sweeping the nation. This comment, made on X, drew widespread condemnation from the office of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which declared there was “no justification” for Musk’s remarks. [Politico]  

intensified tensions on Monday night by challenging the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s response to recent far-right riots. After Starmer condemned attacks on mosques and Muslim communities, Musk questioned whether the prime minister was ignoring broader issues, asking, “Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on all communities?” 

Interior Minister Yvette Cooper expressed numerous concerns about how social media platforms like X handle incitement and disinformation. She emphasized the need for police intervention in criminal matters and urged social media companies to promptly remove criminal content and enforce their terms of service.

Despite widespread concern about far-right messaging, the U.K. has limited means to compel social media companies to act. The recent riots, which targeted mosques and asylum seekers’ accommodations, were heavily influenced by online communications. False information about the killing of three children in Southport last week spread through fake news channels on X. Influential figures like Tommy Robinson and Laurence Fox used platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to amplify their messages.

WhatsApp and Telegram facilitated the organization of protests, while Facebook was used to distribute flyers, and TikTok shared videos of the violence. X, in particular, has become a hub for far-right discussions, with Musk reinstating Robinson’s account, despite his bans on Instagram and Facebook.

Tech Secretary Peter Kyle acknowledged that social media played a significant role in the riots, stating that these platforms have a responsibility to prevent harmful content and that the government is working closely with them to ensure they meet this obligation. [Politico]  

Response

On Wednesday August 8, following a week of violent anti-migrant protests, thousands of police and anti-racism demonstrators took to the streets across Britain, prepared for far-right groups that ultimately did not appear. [Reuters] 

This followed a week of violent racist attacks aimed at Muslims and migrants. Online posts had suggested that far-right, anti-Muslim protesters would target various immigration centers and law firms, leading to early business closures and boarded-up shops.

In response, large crowds of protesters gathered in cities like London, Bristol, and Birmingham, carrying banners with messages such as “Fight racism” and “Stop the far right.” The protesters included a diverse mix of Muslims, anti-racist groups, trade unionists, and local residents who were outraged by the recent riots that saw violent clashes with police and attacking hotels housing asylum-seekers from regions like Africa and the Middle East, while chanting anti-immigrant slogans. Mosques were also targeted with rocks, prompting safety warnings from Muslim organizations.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, dealing with his first major crisis since taking office, has vowed to take strong action against the rioters, warning that those inciting violence will face severe legal consequences. On Wednesday, several individuals received prison sentences for their involvement in the disorder. Starmer emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining order and enforcing the law. 

To address potential violence, the government has assembled a “standing army” of 6,000 specialist police officers, and so far, over 120 people have been charged, with 428 arrests made in connection to the unrest. [Reuters]

Opinion: 

Recent violence erupted following a tragic stabbing in Southport, northwest England, where several children were attacked, resulting in the deaths of three young girls. This shocking event has left the nation in awe and fueled many citizens that were already on edge with renewed outrage. Far-right groups exploited the tragedy by spreading information hinting that the suspect was an immigrant, aiming to provoke anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments. 

Britain has seen a rise in anti-migrant rhetoric in recent years, with some critics suggesting this has emboldened far-right sympathizers, contributing to the recent unrest. An abominable event such as this gruesome stabbing seems like the perfect catalyst for anti-migrant anger from British citizens that has been ready to boil over. 

In the latest general election, Reform UK, a right-wing populist party with a strong anti-immigration stance, garnered the third-highest number of votes. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, condemned the riots but pointed to broader issues, criticizing previous policing of anti-racism protests and mass migration.

Some Conservative Party members, who have also adopted stricter migration policies over the past 14 years, disagreed with Farage’s remarks. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel, subtly criticizing Farage, stated that violence is never acceptable and that politicians must unequivocally condemn it.

The organization of the riots was facilitated through social media and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, bringing these services into the national debate on addressing violence. Elon Musk’s X platform faced backlash for reinstating far-right figures like Tommy Robinson, who used it to incite protests. Joe Mulhall from Hope Not Hate, a UK-based anti-racism charity, noted that Robinson’s return to X has allowed extremists to spread harmful propaganda widely.

Labour leader Keir Starmer condemned the protesters as “far-right thugs,” a statement that drew online criticism and led to the hashtag #FarRightThugsUnite trending on X. Musk tweeted that “civil war is inevitable” in response to posts blaming the riots on mass migration. The prime minister’s spokesperson later stated that such comments were unjustifiable and that Starmer did not share those sentiments.

Migration has been a highly controversial and debated topic in Britain, especially since the 2016 Brexit referendum. In recent years, the country has experienced unprecedented levels of net migration, driven by newcomers from Ukraine, Hong Kong, and individuals pursuing work or education opportunities. 

In 2023 alone, 29,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats, many escaping war-torn regions. The far-right’s adoption of the “stop the boats” slogan, which was originally used by the Conservative Party, highlights the persistent tensions surrounding immigration.

The recent violent riots sweeping through the UK serve as a stark reminder of the underlying racial tensions in European societies, with migration increasingly emerging as the defining issue of the past decade.

– P.T.