Far-right riots in the United Kingdom threaten Muslims and asylum seekers
By Franca Haug | Published August 14, 2024
Anti-racism activists take part in a rally ahead of a rumoured anti-immigrant protest on Wednesday in Brentford, a surburban town in west London. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Genocide Watch is declaring a Genocide Watch for the United Kingdom (UK) in response to the far-right riots in August 2024 targeting Muslims, asylum seekers, and mosques, asylum homes, and charities associated with these groups. The riots were sparked by the murder of three girls in Southport on August 29, 2024, coupled with disinformation on right-wing social media that falsely claimed that the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum seeker. UK-wide rioting has spread fear among Muslim and immigrant communities, destroyed property, and injured police officers. Rioters have chanted racist slogans, thrown rocks and bottles, and set fire to vehicles and buildings.
Immigration from the West Indies and the Indian subcontinent began after 1948 due to a UK labor shortage caused by WWII, the independence of many former British colonies, and the UK’s historic colonial connections. Today, the UK is ethnically diverse with 81 % white, 9.3% Asian, and 4% Black population (Census 2021). Islam is the second-largest religion with over 6% of the population identifying as Muslim. Many UK citizens appreciate this diversity as a legacy of the global British Empire. However, exclusionary nationalism is still widespread in the UK. The 2016 Brexit Referendum resulted in UK withdrawal from the European Union. It showed that many UK citizens want to return to a traditional British identity. They want to limit immigration, and they support nationalistic, nativist ideals.
Far-right organizations have grown. One of these racist groups was the English Defense League (EDL), which opposed the ‘Islamification’ of the UK. Though now disbanded, many of the EDL’s supporters remain active security threats. In 2019, the UK police announced that the fastest-growing terrorist threat in the UK comes from the far-right. A 2021 survey by Muslim Census found that almost half of British mosques had “experienced religiously motivated attacks in the last three years.” There has been an explosion of hate speech in online social media to spread conspiracy theories, incite violence, and organize hate groups. Social media platforms allow for the fast-paced spreading of fake news, covert communication among hate groups, and radicalization of their members.
This August’s rioting was the violent culmination of growing resentments and a long process of racial radicalization. Stressed by the cost-of-living crisis and illegal immigration, some UK citizens feel that they are losing out economically to migrants. UK nationalists consider Islam a threat to British ethnic identity. They emphasize the vulnerability of British women and children, a traditional appeal to racism. UK nationalists falsely claim that the police are more lenient towards ethnic minority offenders than they are towards white people (two-tier policing). Racist resentments are spread by far-right agitators.
Stage 1 Classification separates ‘us’ (white, British nationals) versus ‘them’ (brown, immigrants, Muslims, asylum seekers). Stage 2 Symbolization is evident in the colors and ethnicities of “white vs. “brown” people, and choice of mosques, immigration offices, and immigrant welfare organizations as targets. Stage 4 Dehumanization is manifest in racist slogans during riots. Stage 5 Organization of far-right groups has increased. Stage 6 Polarization of majority and minority groups is widened on social media platforms. Stage 7 Preparation plans for riots utilize social media. A list of thirty targets (mosques, immigration lawyers’ offices, etc.), the times of attacks, and instructions to “mask up,” was shared on Telegram.
Genocide Watch recommends:
UK Citizens should:
Donate and volunteer in local and national asylum and anti-racism organizations (Stand Up To Racism UK).
Peacefully attend local and national counter-protests to denounce rioters and racism.
Engage in community-building across ethnic and religious boundaries.
The UK government and police should:
Gather intelligence on and monitor far-right leaders.
Apply the Online Safety Act 2023 which allows for prosecution of people who knowingly spread misinformation “to cause non-trivial psychological or physical harm to a likely audience.”
Receive more training in dealing with online misinformation and hate speech.
Social media companies should use AI to answer hate speech and misinformation on social media.