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What happens when artificial intelligence, social media and a handful of malevolent actors converge on a tinderbox crisis? In England, the result has been more than a week of civil disorder.
Rioting that began in the northern seaside community of Southport at the end of July has engulfed cities and towns across the United Kingdom. The disorder even reached Northern Ireland, where anti-immigrant demonstrators from Belfast’s Loyalist community were joined by simpatico agitators from the Republic of Ireland in a rare if unpleasant showing of Irish unity.
The rioting was sparked by a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29. Three children were killed and other children and adults injured and seriously wounded. Rumors quickly spread on social media that the teen accused in the brutal attack was an asylum seeker and a Muslim. A mosque not far from the site of the attack became the first target of an anti-immigrant mob’s wrath, igniting the nationwide violence that has followed.
Right-wing social media influencers and far-right extremists quickly shared misinformation about the Southport attack, and angry mobs were soon clashing with police in other U.K. cities. An image created by an artificial intelligence program and circulated just hours after the attack proved especially incendiary.
Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported that the A.I.-generated image, depicting “bearded men in traditional Muslim dress outside the Houses of Parliament, one waving a knife, behind a crying child in a union jack T-shirt,” was posted by an account notorious for spreading disinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment on the social media platform X. It was soon viewed more than 900,000 times.
Sarah Teather, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, issued a statement on Aug. 5 deploring “criminal violence that has threatened people’s lives, injured emergency service workers, and destroyed public facilities.”
Ms. Teather said, “People of colour, members of the Muslim community, and people seeking sanctuary have been deliberately targeted. Many of the refugees we serve and others in our communities are living with deep fear and insecurity following these attacks.”
She urged the U.K. government to take “urgent steps” to protect targeted communities “including people in the asylum system, who in many cases have already fled violence and experienced profound trauma.”
The new Labour Party prime minister, Keir Starmer, blamed far-right agitators for circulating rumors and for organizing protests that have targeted mosques and singled out minority communities. Demonstrations have featured Nazi salutes, racist rhetoric and mob attacks that have injured more than 100 police officers.
Mr. Starmer described the disturbances as “far-right thuggery,” rejecting suggestions that the disturbances could be connected to the government’s immigration policies. He has warned that anyone taking part in the violence would “face the full force of the law.”
“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder whether directly or those whipping up this action online, and then running away themselves,” he said on Aug. 4 after a weekend of violence that included a mob storming and setting fire to a hotel housing migrants. “This is not protest. It is organized, violent thuggery.”
The Associated Press reported that British police were planning to respond to more than 100 events set by anti-immigrant agitators for the night of Aug. 7. They had been monitoring far-right internet chat groups that shared a list of agencies and law firms specializing in immigration as possible targets.
But in a sign that the crisis may have exhausted itself, the far-right demonstrations that had been anticipated by police failed to materialize, and peaceful anti-racism protesters instead showed up in force. Stand up to Racism and other groups had planned counter-protests, but in most places U.K streets were reclaimed without incident. A crowd of immigrant supporters that quickly grew to several hundred in the London neighborhood of North Finchley found themselves largely alone with several dozen police officers.
The crowd chanted “Refugees welcome” and “London against racism.” Some held signs saying “Stop the far right,” “Migration is not a crime” and “Finchley against fascism.”
Churches Together in England issued a statement on Aug. 7, calling on U.K. churches and communities to work together to end racism, division and disorder. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster, is one of C.T.E.’s presidents.
“In the wake of the terrible events in Southport,” the C.T.E. leadership said, “we acknowledge the anger felt by many at these senseless killings. We also acknowledge deep and troubling anxiety about immigration.”
“Regrettably, we have witnessed violent, racist attacks and intimidation on our streets,” the religious leaders added. “Mosques have been attacked, hotels housing people seeking asylum set on fire and individuals set upon simply because of the colour of their skin. Racism has no place on our streets or in society and should not be stirred up in communities or online.”
The violence threatened to escalate as counter-demonstrators from targeted communities set off to confront the anti-immigrant and Islamophobic protesters, creating conditions that have been at times beyond the capacity of local police to control. Anti-immigrant sentiment in the United Kingdom, to the point of mob action, arson and looting, appears to have been festering for some time, with some indication that contemporary mainstream political rhetoric has had a role to play. Far-right and populist protesters have been tellingly chanting “stop the boats,” the slogan former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used in his vow to stem the tide of small, unstable craft ferrying migrants across the English Channel.
Cardinal Nichols joined other U.K. faith leaders in another joint letter denouncing the rioting and the anti-immigrant sentiment that powered it, describing it as “a stain on our national moral conscience.”
“Every British citizen has a right to be respected and a responsibility to respect others, so that together we can build a cohesive and harmonious society for all,” the faith leaders said, pledging “to work with government and all sections of society towards a constructive and compassionate dialogue on immigration and social cohesion.”
In addition to Cardinal Nichols, the letter was signed by the Most Rev. Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury; England’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis; Imam Dr. Sayed Razawi, chief imam and director general of Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; and Imam Qari Asim, chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board.
“Every one of us has a responsibility to challenge the disinformation and racist, divisive rhetoric fuelling this hostility,” Ms. Teather said in the JRS-UK statement. “Too often, people fleeing danger and searching for a chance to rebuild their lives here have been dehumanised by politicians and others in a position of influence. But scenes of people coming together in the hours following rioting, to care for those affected and repair the physical damage, show the kind of society that we can and truly want to be.”
As the violence spread across the United Kingdom, the grieving continued in Southport, where a peaceful vigil to remember the victims was held on Aug. 5. Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, perished in the attack.
The Catholic Herald reported that Alice Dasilva Aguiar was remembered as “the most beautiful, strongest girl in the world” during a memorial service and Mass on Aug. 6 at Southport’s St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. A funeral Mass for Alice at St. Patrick’s is planned on Aug. 11. The Southport Hesketh Round Table is hosting a fundraising effort for the victims and their families.
In an attempt to suppress the rumor-mongering on social media, British police have taken the unusual step of releasing the identity of the teen alleged to have committed the attack at the dance studio, a Welsh-born citizen whose parents emigrated from Rwanda. The fact of his British origins did not appreciably diminish the fury of the anti-immigrant protests, which continued into their second week.
Earlier this week anti-immigrant violence had broken out in Plymouth, in the southwest of England. Canon Paul Cummins, administrator for the Diocese of Plymouth, issued a statement on Aug. 6. “Our beautiful countryside and wonderful coast have been havens of peace for generations,” he said.
“We have always welcomed the stranger and offered a place of sanctuary for those fleeing violence and discrimination,” Father Cummins said. “We appeal to everyone to turn away from violence and embrace peace and reconciliation. We reaffirm our solidarity with those of different faiths, races and cultures who have sought refuge in our diocese. This is your home.”
“Jesus tells us to ‘treat others as we would like them to treat us.’ This is our hope. This is our prayer.”
With reporting from The Associated Press
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- Analysis: Britain’s bizarre, costly and cruel plan to deport migrants to Rwanda
