Rioting in the UK

[IWMP]

Bunch of hooligans using a crime to unleash their racism and crappy standards on the Earth. They should take a picture of every one of their faces and put them in a database.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/artic ... -hgvntj7b7

[Xenophon]

I'd be curious about some extra insight from our friends across the pond. There is enough US politics to keep me so occupied I'm not sure I'm really "in the know" here.

My first couple of questions would be:

• Do we have a feel for how pervasive the rioters views are, how much sympathy they have with the population at large?
• How widespread are the riots really? I happened to be in Paris during their rioting in 2023 and the stark contrast between American reporting and my own eyeballs was very interesting. The picture that was painted was the whole city was in flames and that just wasn't the case, it was an excellent reminder that lived experience is often much different than the news.
• What is your go-to news source? I'd have more faith in reporting closer to the source.

[Chap]

I'd be curious about some extra insight from our friends across the pond.

OK, I'll bite: these are my current impressions, based on what I have read and heard to date.

Just for a start: A 17 year old boy born in Swansea of parents who came from Rwanda (an almost entirely Christian country) took a kitchen knife, went into a dance class for young kids, and killed three little girls while injuring other children and some adults. He has been arrested and has made a preliminary court appearance, during which he refused to speak. His motives and his state of mental health remain entirely unknown as of today.

Because he was below 18, the police and the court did not at first release his name or personal details. Meanwhile, online malignants posted lies to the effect that he was a young Muslim man who had recently arrived illegally in the UK after having crossed the English Channel in a small boat. Later the court decided that it was in the public interest to release his details, but by then it was too late to stop the momentum of self-legitimating violence online. The right-wing thug groups had alerted their members that a fun time was coming, and facts were not longer relevant. What mattered was rage and hatred of the Other.

Do we have a feel for how pervasive the rioters views are, how much sympathy they have with the population at large?

Very few of the population will be found to be in sympathy with rioters who attack the police (throwing bricks and bottles), loot shops and public libraries (for IT equipment), smash the windows of parked cars, and try to set fire to buildings. These are members of an extreme right wing cult of violent masculinity, and their supposed motive (which is alleged to be concern about illegal immigration, which is only a small proportion of the legal migration that the UK allows every year) is more or less irrelevant to their delight in violence and damage to property.

How widespread are the riots really? I happened to be in Paris during their rioting in 2023 and the stark contrast between American reporting and my own eyeballs was very interesting. The picture that was painted was the whole city was in flames and that just wasn't the case, it was an excellent reminder that lived experience is often much different than the news.

The same is true of the UK at the moment. The riots have happened in a few places in the country, chosed for maximum publicity effect. These are not 'spontaneous' events begun by local populations.

What is your go-to news source? I'd have more faith in reporting closer to the source.

BBC Radio 4 news (serious spoken reportage and analysis, without being able to waste time by showing the same picture over and over again, like TV), the Guardian newspaper, and the Economist.

[IWMP]

Thanks chap. Explains it well.

Basically chavs that are racist. Was surprised to see a fair few women in the photos. Thought women were more sensitive. Discussion on my feed where people were asking if it was safe to travel had shown that it had settled the next day, that there were increased police force and that the council had done a very good job at clearing the damage. It looked pretty damaged and people looked pretty proud of themselves. They have no right to talk about anyone coming into this country and perhaps they should be made to leave. Several friends have posted in support of Muslims and against the EDL and this behaviour. They shouldn't be allowed to call themselves a political party.

[Chap]

It is important to note that the organisation known as the English Defence League (EDL) dissolved itself some years ago. However, its ghost is a kind of evil political poltergeist that is highly active on the internet, and spurns any formal structure. That makes it much more difficult to deal with, unfortunately.

[Xenophon]

Thanks, Chap for that response. And thank you both for your perspectives.