OsuspirO

I don't normally make posts like this, and this will be a long one, but I would like to speak out in regard to what we've seen in the UK this week. In the past few days, the UK has seen a surge of right wing mobs taking to the streets across towns and cities, driven by misinformation, hatred and racism. The spark for the mobilization was a false claim that a Muslim refugee was behind a horrifying stabbing of young girls, despite official reports stating the murderer was a born in the UK and not a Muslim. This baseless rumor has been weaponized by the far right to further fuel anti-immigration sentiment and white supremacist ideology, resulting in violent riots that have specifically targeted ethnic minorities. While branded as protests against the killings, these riots are nothing more than a pretext for racially motivated violence. The videos that have come out over the past few days, including the one below, show lynch mobs attacking people of colour, businesses suspected of being owned by minorities being set on fire, and indiscriminate violence against many targets including a library and citizens advice bureau. The unrest is a stark reminder of the deep seated racism that persists in the West. As a British citizen who is non-white, I've experienced racism while growing up, but the past few days has been more intense than anything I have ever personally experienced before. My parents have of course told me of the harrowing experiences they've had with racism growing up, but I naively believed that the UK would never be "that bad" again. Unfortunately, these recent events show that I was wrong. I guess I should not be surprised. The UK's history is steeped in structural and individual racism, from the colonial era to the slave trade, through to the race riots of 1919 and up until today. The only reason there is an Asian and Black presence in the UK, accounting for just 13.3% of the population, is because of the direct result of colonialism and post-WW2 reconstruction efforts. We are only here because the British Empire was there, exploiting resources and labour. At the time, immigrants to the UK were often relegated to the worst jobs, underpaid, and faced systemic discrimination. The Race Relations Act of 1965 was a first step in addressing that, but there was immediate backlash from the white population. Political figures like Enoch Powell, with his infamous "Rivers of Blood" speech, fueled the flames of racial hatred. In a poll at the time, it was found that 75% agreed with Powell on stopping all non-white immigration and 60% agreed with deporting all non-white citizens. The 1970s and 80s were marked by racist attacks and the rise of fascist groups like the National Front, who terrorised South Asian and Black communities. The tragic deaths of Altab Ali (1978) and Stephen Lawrence (1993), to name a few, are grim reminders of how long these attacks went on for. Fast forward to today and we see a resurgence of racism and fascism, spurred on by politicians like Nigel Farage, with the intent of dividing the population. The resurgence has been driven by a multitude of factors. First, austerity measures imposed by the Tory government since 2010 have ravaged the working class, leading to rises in homelessness, food bank usage, the collapse of public services and a severe cost of living crisis. Brexit, which was pitched to voters as a way to reduce immigration, has instead lead to increased immigration due to worker shortages. Yet, rather than addressing the root causes of social instability, all political parties have scapegoated migrants and minorities, perpetuating the already existing cycle of blame and division. Media outlets and social media platforms also play a role, sensationalizing crimes involving ethnic minorities while ignoring lower crime rates among these groups and the structural biases that result in higher arrests and longer conviction rates. Social media allows information to spread rapidly, with corrections rarely seen. Far right influencers and political figures, backed by wealthy donors, exploit these platforms to sow division and hatred, distracting from the real issues of inequality and social justice. The governments response has also been inadequate. While condemning the rioters and increasing police powers, many politicians have failed to mention the underlying racism present in the country, the lies about immigrants, and the danger that ethnic minorities are currently facing. There is also a lot of "both sides" rhetoric aimed at deflecting away from the true culprits. At the end of the day, this is done because addressing the core issues would not allow the government to deflect blame away from themselves. To combat the rising tide of fascism, not just in the UK, decisive action must be taken by people of good conscious. Firstly, we need to build a robust anti-racist movement to ensure right wing mobs cannot flood the streets again. Secondly, legal action must be taken against those inciting violence and attacking minorities. Finally, we must push the government to implement policies that improve material conditions for all citizens, not just the richest 10%. Without these steps, I fear the situation will only deteriorate.