Far-right protests have rocked England over the last week, posing the first big challenge to the newly elected Labour government in the UK. The anti-Muslim and anti-immigration protests fuelled by known right-wing groups erupted following a mass stabbing at a dance party in Southport near Liverpool that killed three little girls. Even before the facts were clear, protests broke out, triggered by a massive disinformation campaign on social media alleging that the attacker was an immigrant. After initially withholding the identity of the attacker as he was a juvenile, the police finally confirmed that the perpetrator was British born and bred. Meanwhile, attacks on Muslims and mosques have escalated, with riots spreading to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and even Belfast in Northern Ireland. The rioters have indulged in arson and violence and shouted anti-Islamic slurs, effectively busting the myth of a multicultural Britain that liberals are so fond of portraying. As is the norm these days, misinformation has spread rapidly on social media amplifying the violence. Clashes between far-right anti-immigration crusaders and anti-racism protestors have also increased.
The Keir Starmer government, which was elected to power with an overwhelming majority only last month, has to take immediate steps to crack down on the vicious protests that will only serve to divide British society. Though the far right failed to make an impression in the UK elections, its pernicious agenda has obviously resonated with a large section of British society. UK police have accused supporters and affiliates of the English Defence League, an anti-Islam organisation founded 15 years ago, for the violence. Their supporters have also been linked to football hooliganism and comprise largely of the white working-class segment. Fear-mongering by influencers is only aggravating the situation. Starmer has his task cut out to fend off what he called “organised thuggery”. Even as the country is grappling with the problems left behind by years of Conservative rule, there is no place for such ugly bigotry. Every citizen of the UK has to be protected from insidious attacks by misguided individuals.
