Fear of a night of violence

What’s behind the riots in England

(Bild: AP/PA)

Brutal attacks on police officers, stores belonging to Muslims set on fire, looting: The UK has been rocked by right-wing extremist riots for days and there is no end in sight. Dozens of police officers have been injured. The police have arrested more than 400 people so far and the first prison sentences have already been handed down. Experts explain why so many people are taking part in the protests.

The organization Hope not Hate, which specializes in monitoring right-wing extremist groups in the UK, reported that far-right activists were spotted at the riots. The organization spoke of possibly the most serious outbreak of right-wing extremist violence in the UK in the post-war period.

Women and the elderly also take part in protests
According to security and terrorism expert Peter Neumann from King's College London, however, it is not only well-known right-wing extremists who are joining the protests and riots. In addition to many young men and soccer hooligans, they also include women and older people, for example.

There were even riots in Belfast in Northern Ireland. This supermarket belonging to a Muslim owner was vandalized.

(Bild: AP/PA)

"This is not something that should reassure us, on the contrary. It shows that right-wing extremists have obviously found a way to bring people onto the streets far beyond their own filter bubble," said the expert.

Organized via social networks
The riots are organized and fueled on social media such as Telegram and on "X". There, for example, lists with addresses of the targets for the planned protests are shared, which then often turn into violent riots.

A pub owner barricades his windows for fear of another night of rioting in North Finchley, London.

(Bild: AP/PA)

Adding fuel to the fire are agitators such as right-wing extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, and Lawrence Fox, a former presenter on the right-wing news channel GB News. They do not organize the riots, but fuel them in part with fake news and give the movement structure, explains Neumann. "That's something new. The role of social media, including disinformation on social media, is something that we haven't really seen before to this extent," said the expert.

Migration issue actually of little relevance
Political scientist Anand Menon from King's College emphasized that migration as a political issue is not high on the British people's list of priorities. "The polls are actually pretty clear on this," he explained. The vast majority are relaxed about immigration. Nevertheless, the political debate in recent years has often revolved around the issue.

Neumann believes that unrealistic promises made by the former Conservative government to reduce immigration figures are partly responsible for the heated atmosphere in the country. This created expectations that could not be fulfilled.

The rhetoric also escalated, for example when the then Home Secretary Suella Braverman spoke of an "invasion" in relation to irregular immigrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. According to Neumann, this lent legitimacy to the discourse of Tommy Robinson.

Social inequality in the country
The Conservative government has increased inequality in the country with its austerity policy since 2010, said sociologist Aaron Winter from Lancaster University. In doing so, it has created an environment in which long-time residents can blame migrants for the austerity measures, which were actually implemented by a conservative, right-wing government, he said.

"The far right is portrayed as the voice of the retarded white working class, the voice of the people, the silent majority," Winter said. Academics, journalists and political parties then justified far-right statements in part as legitimate complaints from the working class, making them socially acceptable.

False reports as a trigger
The riots were triggered by false reports about the alleged perpetrator of a knife attack on children in Southport near Liverpool, in which three little girls were killed. The alleged perpetrator is said to be an irregular immigrant with a Muslim name - but both are false. The suspect is a 17-year-old who was born in the UK to Rwandan immigrants.