The UK Race Riots

 

The UK erupted in racist violence. The European press refers to the incidents as riots, but fail to mention what type. Race riots are cases in which  mass violence is directed at certain race. Homes and business are destroyed by the criminals to decimate a community. Migration and economic downturn have given ammunition to far-right groups. The English Defense League has become prominent in the xenophobic nativist nationalism movement. These are not simply riots rather that have an anti-black, anti-Asian, and Islamophobic aspect. The race riots happened in areas of mostly white and working class areas. Economics can be a explanation. Immigrants are scapegoated for taking jobs. The inability to handle immigration has caused frustration. Foreign policy has resulted in a large number of refugees from war zones. The legacy of colonialism from the British Empire has played a role. Immigrants from India, Pakistan, Ghana, and Jamacia came to the UK when the British Empire dissolved. The UK never became an integrated society. Instead a myth was created of a multicultural society with liberal democratic values . This masked the de facto segregation which persists in the United Kingdom. Being part of the EU brought over more skilled workers from other countries, but did not benefit the majority of the population. Brexit was a way of trying to assert economic independence, yet that just might not be possible in a world of globalization. Nothing was learned from the riots in 2011. Anti-racist demonstrators are making attempts to stop the violence. This is not effective as long as law enforcement is on the side of the political establishment. Law enforcement is also more likely to sympathize with far-right convictions. There are attempts to place the blame on social media and disinformation coming from various platforms. The BBC and other television networks can be just as culpable for spreading disinformation and hate. The race riots have been going on since July 30th and the government appears to be losing control. As economic and geopolitical conditions get worse, the far-right will get more powerful. France or Germany could experience race riots similar to the UK.