Peace in Kurdistan: Right-wing extremist unrest and state reaction threaten our civil rights
Estella Schmid and David Morgan issued a statement on behalf of the patrons of the Peace in Kurdistan campaign Analysis of the violent unrest that erupted following the shocking knife attack on three young girls in the British seaside town of Southport earlier this month.
The explanation is as follows:
“The mass riots spread rapidly across the country, with incidents occurring in Southport itself and in cities as far afield as Plymouth, Sunderland and Belfast. They were confined to England and Northern Ireland, with no outbreaks recorded in Wales or Scotland. What was clear from the outset was that the incidents were taking place in areas of extreme social deprivation, where communities feel they are being left behind and do not share in the prosperity they enjoy elsewhere in the country. Long-term unemployment, deindustrialisation, urban decay and long-term neglect of local infrastructure are characteristic of these areas. Indeed, during telephone radio discussions on the causes of the riots, several participants cited the government’s abolition of winter heating allowances for pensioners and the retention of the cruel two-child child benefit cap as factors contributing to existing discontent.
Many myths quickly circulated about the horrific incident in Southport, including the erroneous claim that the attacker was an asylum seeker who had recently been smuggled across the Channel on one of the many boats that make the dangerous journey from France almost every day – a subject that has become so contentious in political debates in recent years. When the perpetrator of the stabbings was finally unmasked after a delay of several days, it turned out that he was a British-born youth with parents from Rwanda, a country where the majority of the population are Christians. It is therefore highly unlikely that he was an Islamist as claimed, although his motives have not yet been revealed to the public.
This deliberate misinformation spread and helped to spread rumours that provoked the unrest. The mood of anger and seething hatred directed at asylum seekers and minorities had been simmering for years and had been created by the opportunistic rhetoric of newspapers and politicians from all major parties. Acute social tensions and political conflicts cannot be ignored or downplayed if we are to truly understand the root causes of the unrest, because they did not just appear out of nowhere.
The far right, of course, tried to capitalize on the discontent and actively spread misinformation on social media, which facilitates the spread of unpleasant ideas. Nevertheless, the notion that the far right is “on the rise” should not be overstated, as this could only increase the feelings of fear and helplessness of victims of racist abuse. The English Defence League (EDL) was one of the groups repeatedly accused of instigating the riots, although it no longer officially exists as an active organization.
Admittedly, the involvement of far-right individuals and shady informal groups in stoking discontent cannot be denied. This is certainly the case given the slogans used at the protests and the symbolism of those involved in the incidents, who were regularly seen carrying banners with intimidating messages such as “Britain First”, “England for the English” and “Stop the Boats”, the latter being a campaign slogan of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The targets of the rioters’ anger were hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers and local mosques, indicating the racist nature of the unrest but suggesting vague political motives. Police officers clashed with rioters in ugly incidents and even paramedics tending to the injured were attacked. Random violence and looting suggest that there was no clear shared political agenda among the rioters.
Government policies that have dispersed asylum seekers to the poorest communities in the country bear part of the blame, as they have certainly contributed to the social tensions that exist there. The policies have created a powder keg that can be ignited by malign forces. So successive governments must admit their responsibility if we are ever to address the underlying causes of these unrests, as it is likely that riots will return in the near future.
The recent series of uprisings, violent protests and riots has left members of minority communities afraid to even venture out of their own homes. Fear of random attacks on the streets has unfortunately long been a daily reality for these communities and the effects of the uprisings will linger for a very long time. Unless the underlying issues are addressed properly and urgently, hostilities will continue to fester.
The government immediately responded with a law-and-order approach. The state insists on its monopoly on violence and is determined to punish harshly anyone who challenges that monopoly, regardless of the ruling party, whether they come from the right or the left. The Prime Minister and his recently appointed Interior Minister wanted to create the impression that they were up to the task. They called on the police and courts to act quickly and arrest, convict and imprison as many offenders as possible. Summary justice has become the norm, with harsh sentences read out live on television, turning the legal process into a form of entertainment.
Following the unrest, politicians now want to enforce stricter restrictions on civil liberties: online posts on social media should be treated like crimes committed on the street and can even be interpreted as terrorist acts.
Even satire is defined as a criminal offence. A recent political poster has been branded “extremist abuse” in a new government report. The offensive poster criticised Labour’s policies towards Gaza and Israel and bore the words “Vote Labour, Vote Genocide”. Some may see this as fair comment, as it reflects widespread public disquiet over continued arms sales to Israel amid allegations of war crimes and the rising death toll among unarmed civilians in Gaza, including thousands of children. The mounting atrocities in the Middle East have been unfolding for months with no comment coming from the mouths of Labour Party leaders. Their position has changed little since they came to government and arms sales to Israel have continued uninterrupted.
Robust satire and sharp political commentary have always been features of a healthy liberal democracy. Seeking to silence critics by government fiat is a dangerous trend. Britain already has repressive anti-terror laws on its statute books, so a willingness to tighten them can only pose a renewed threat to all our rights and freedoms. The short-sighted actions of politicians who are out of touch and disconnected from the public also threaten the great traditions of dissent that have long been a hallmark of the country, which has rightly been celebrated for centuries as a haven for political refugees fleeing repressive regimes abroad.
It is deeply ironic that a Prime Minister who has had a career as a human rights lawyer should be the political leader to embark on the introduction of further state powers that restrict civil liberties. It is worrying that so few voices seem willing to speak out and stand up for our cherished freedoms, which are now under threat from our own government. Those who remain silent, it seems, will live to regret it. Equally, it seems certain that state repression will not resolve any of the underlying tensions that created the conditions for the unrest and riots in the first place. We seem to have entered an extremely dangerous period in our history.
Britain remains one of the richest countries in the world, but also one of the most socially divided. These divisions are growing, particularly between the super-rich and many who are barely surviving, while in-work poverty, debt, homelessness and dependence on food banks are on the rise. People need job security, access to affordable housing, good public services and opportunities for their children to thrive. The fact that so many people have lost hope that their elected politicians will ever meet people’s basic human needs shows that the scale of the problems we face is not sufficiently understood. The riots were a symptom of these deeper social ills and were not simply caused by mindless ‘far-right thugs’ bent on causing trouble. The roots obviously run much deeper and these must be addressed if we are ever to avert social decline and disintegration.”
