Far-right riots escalated across the United Kingdom last weekend, with incidents reported in at least 35 cities. The events were marked by extreme violence, targeting Muslims, migrants, and the looting of local shops and destruction of public infrastructure. Anti-fascist and anti-racist groups mobilized in response, mostly outnumbering the far-right instigators.
The wave of violence intensified following an attack on a Southport mosque last week, and expanded to other public spaces and religious sites. In Liverpool, right-wing mobs torched a public library, and in Yorkshire and Staffordshire, they targeted hotels sheltering asylum seekers. The mobs set fire to the hotels while people were inside and, at the same time, attacked and injured several police officers.
The attacks have provoked fear and panic within local communities, and in response progressive and leftist organizations have united in solidarity to defend migrant communities and in calling for immediate governmental action to address the Islamophobia and xenophobia underlying the far-right attacks. They warned that recent outbursts of violence cannot be understood without taking into consideration years of policies rooted in neoliberalism and anti-migrant sentiment. This perspective is supported by groups ranging from Migrants Organise to Just Treatment, which criticize the deep-seated social and economic policies that allowed xenophobia to flourish in the UK.
“From the threat of deportations and raids, the Prevent protocol, the gangs matrix, to the hostile immigration regime, we’ve seen time and again how the state wields a web of violent policies that surveil and criminalize our neighbors, while stoking flames of racism, xenophobia and fascism in our communities,” Migrants Organise stated.
Anti-fascist groups like Hope Not Hate also warned against the viewpoint voiced by some mainstream politicians that the far-right violence, while alarming, was an expression of legitimate grievances. “They are not [outpourings of legitimate anger]. This is racist violence spurred by far-right hatred,” the group said.
Communities organize to counter far-right
A select group of left and progressive MPs called for explicitly recognizing the racist tone of the rioting and acting accordingly. Jeremy Corbyn described the wave of fascist violence as a consequence of mainstream political leaders promoting anti-immigrant narratives that wrongfully blame refugees. Together with other independent MPs, Corbyn also called upon Keir Starmer’s government to fully back the communities under attack. The MPs stated: “We reject any narrative that seeks to blame asylum seekers and immigrant communities for the decades of austerity and subsequent decline in stable and well paid jobs that has eroded the fabric of once secure communities.”
The immediate trigger for the riots was the weaponization of a stabbing incident in Southport by far-right leaders like Nigel Farage and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson), who published misinformation to inflame anti-Muslim and anti-migrant sentiments. Despite their efforts, broad public opposition has emerged, challenging their narrative and asserting the importance of addressing the real socio-economic challenges faced by communities, rather than scapegoating immigrants and asylum seekers.
As cities brace for more announced far-right rallies, local populations and solidarity groups are preparing to maintain peace and defend their communities, underscoring the rejection of hatred and division.
“History teaches us that the far-right weaponize fear and intimidation in the hope that we will be silenced, that we will stay home instead of protecting our communities. History also teaches us that we outnumber them by far. We have stopped them before and we can and will again,” Migrants Organised said.
