A response to the racist and Islamophobicrioting and attacks (it’s been called terrorism) going on around the UK. As is often the case, poetry was my initial means of a response (see below for an audio version).
If you haven’t heard about what has been happening, you can read about it here.
Stop the Violence
This chapter of racism in Britain, began after the horrific knife attack in Southport on Monday 29 July 2024.
Three children were killed, Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), Alice Da Silva Aguiar(9) and Bebe King (6). A number of others were seriously injured, not to mention the trauma the whole community must be experiencing.
Then, supposedly in response to this attack, the following happened:
Far-right, racist thugs spread misinformation about the identity of the attacker, and in recent days have rioted in towns and cities across England in response to the murders, first descending on Southport itself just 36 hours after the attack,…
The mother of seven-yr-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, one of the three girls murdered, issued an appeal on social media to “stop the violence”.
-Source: The Observer, 4 August 2024 (bold emphasis mine)
Let’s not be fooled, these racists just wanted to riot and used/are using this awful tragedy for cover.
If their actions were really on behalf of the community in Southport, they would have heeded Jenni Stancombe’s (Elsie’s mother) words,
“This is the only thing that I will write, but please stop the violence in Southport tonight.
“The police have been nothing but heroic these last 24 hours and they and we don’t need this.”
Personally speaking, “disorder” doesn’t cut it for me. How about you?
Nothing New to See Here
The UK has a long history of such “disorder”. It is currently being fueled by politicians, press rooms, and panderers to the masses for their own personal gain.
An example being highlighted in some news coverage e.g James O’Brien on LBC and Zarah Sultana (MP) on Good Morning Britain (GMB), is the headlines and racist rhetoric from the recent past and present.
Here’s a clip from the GMB interview; for which the ‘anchors’, Ed Balls and Kate Garraway, have received significant backlash.
The problematic headlines and rhetoric have also been highlighted via the social media of The Runnymede Trust*, Everyday Racism, UK is not Innocent and others. Citing them as catalysts for what we are seeing and the complicity on the part of the media and certain political actors.
If you are planning to be out and about this week, may I encourage you to be vigilant and minimise unnecessary risks. May I also encourage you to not allow these racist reprobates to cause you to live permanently in fear. Let us not give them that power.
