What led to UK riots

The riots erupted after the murders of three girls, in the Merseyside town of Southport on July 29. Nine other children were wounded, six of them critically, and two adults were in serious condition. A dangerous trend has emerged across the UK, a surge in Islamophobia sentiments and anti-Muslim hate crimes. We believe that the adults, who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children, said Chief Constable Serena Kennedy from Merseyside Police. Cops arrested a 17-year-old man from Cardiff on suspicion of attempted murder. Misinformation began spreading online about the suspect’s identity, with posts on X, Telegram, and TikTok alleging that the suspect was a Muslim immigrant. With rampant misinformation fueling the violence, a British court publicized the identity of the suspected attacker, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, in a landmark ruling on August 1. Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents. A day after the incident, groups of people, many from outside the town, hurled bricks at police and a local mosque, set fires, and threw bottles, with more than 50 officers injured. The situation is grim. A mosque came under attack. Rioters who shouted slogans and called for migrants to be deported also attacked asylum-seeker accommodations in Manchester and Hampshire. Manchester police issued dispersal orders as far-right groups faced off with anti-racism protesters. A building was set on fire. The attack in Southport, a town not known for such brutality, has shaken the country. However, as details of the crime emerged, an undercurrent of Islamophobia began to surface, with some voices quick to associate the violence with the Muslim community despite the absence of any evidence linking the crime or perpetrator to their faith. Islamophobia has long been a scourge in British society, often flaring up in response to isolated incidents. The immediate assumption that any act of violence has a link to Muslims reflects a deep-seated prejudice that seeks a solution, not just from rights groups but also from the government itself. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s words that he will protect the Muslim community are welcome, but we expect more action from him. Reports indicate a rise in verbal and physical assaults, vandalism of mosques, and increasing fear among Muslim residents. Such actions are not only inexcusable but also legally punishable. The media, too, plays a critical role in shaping public perceptions. Investigations showed how anonymous TikTok accounts called on people to riot. The government and public figures must unanimously condemn the violence and take action against the perpetrators of hate crimes. The series of race and anti-migrant riots that have been sweeping across England’s vast deindustrialized regions in the North West, North East, Midlands, and Yorkshire have been ineffably ugly to behold. Gangs of masked men attacked hotels occupied by asylum seekers and tried to set them on fire, launching missiles at thin police lines, burning down libraries, attacking businesses owned by black and brown people, and launching attacks against mosques. Is there a migration crisis in England? Yes, there is. Is it the fault of the migrants? No, it is not. It is, this migrant crisis, the fruits of Western foreign policy stretching back decades. In other words, the West destroys and destabilizes countries across the Middle East and North Africa and those affected come to the West to escape the destruction. In this, these desperate and traumatized people are doing what any one of us would do under the same circumstances. The demonization and dehumanization of migrants and Muslims, both lumped into the same racist box, is the devil’s work. The real issue all right-thinking people need to contend with is a capitalist system that has fashioned a utopia for the few and a dystopia for far too many.