It has been a week of violent disorder, most recently in my home town of Sunderland; it is tragic but we must be clear that it has no justification or legitimacy
I’ve read some nice pieces this week from people in Sunderland saying what an improvement refugees have made to the area - moving into long-empty houses and becoming part of their communities. One even mentioned that the refugee on his street was the only man to run out and help a woman who was assaulted in their neighbourhood.
It makes me wonder where these far-right rent-a-thugs come from, and what they are doing to make their own towns better places to live.
I’m also alarmed by the nonsense the far right spouts about East London - that Bethnal Green Road and Whitechapel Roads are no-go zones. They are obviously people who spend little time in London and no time in The East End.
We have the Hackney Carnival coming up in September and I hope the right-nutters have the sense to stay away. Hackney doesn’t take racism lying down and they may find themselves dealing with more than they bargained for.
It’s no coincidence that the Hackney and Tottenham riots happened where they did. And this far-right mob would do well to remember The Battle of Cable Street where they were forced to run away to the relative safety of Hyde Park.
Thoughtful and nuanced - although I have to part company with you a few times, especially with Willie Whitelaw. The Brixton riots, say, were the aggregation of constantly not only being unheard but actively persecuted in ways that caused serious harm; so the question then becomes: how do you gain people's serious attention and genuinely address the inequities? Ongoing. (Don't think this applies to the current rent-a-crowd; although their slogan "Enough is enough" is revealing about what they *feel* is their motivation (inchoate, obviously) - and, clearly, rational thought isn't involved.) You're spot on about the taxi drivers, though - remember thinking the same thing around Brexit - so the political pollsters are clearly missing a trick...
A thought: is part of the reason that these guys resort to violence because they do not have any significant mouthpieces in the mainstream? That they feel that their opinions are going unheard?
(Obviously not the full story, of course - I'm sure these guys are more naturally violent anyway.)
I’ve read some nice pieces this week from people in Sunderland saying what an improvement refugees have made to the area - moving into long-empty houses and becoming part of their communities. One even mentioned that the refugee on his street was the only man to run out and help a woman who was assaulted in their neighbourhood.
It makes me wonder where these far-right rent-a-thugs come from, and what they are doing to make their own towns better places to live.
I’m also alarmed by the nonsense the far right spouts about East London - that Bethnal Green Road and Whitechapel Roads are no-go zones. They are obviously people who spend little time in London and no time in The East End.
We have the Hackney Carnival coming up in September and I hope the right-nutters have the sense to stay away. Hackney doesn’t take racism lying down and they may find themselves dealing with more than they bargained for.
It’s no coincidence that the Hackney and Tottenham riots happened where they did. And this far-right mob would do well to remember The Battle of Cable Street where they were forced to run away to the relative safety of Hyde Park.
Thoughtful and nuanced - although I have to part company with you a few times, especially with Willie Whitelaw. The Brixton riots, say, were the aggregation of constantly not only being unheard but actively persecuted in ways that caused serious harm; so the question then becomes: how do you gain people's serious attention and genuinely address the inequities? Ongoing. (Don't think this applies to the current rent-a-crowd; although their slogan "Enough is enough" is revealing about what they *feel* is their motivation (inchoate, obviously) - and, clearly, rational thought isn't involved.) You're spot on about the taxi drivers, though - remember thinking the same thing around Brexit - so the political pollsters are clearly missing a trick...
A thought: is part of the reason that these guys resort to violence because they do not have any significant mouthpieces in the mainstream? That they feel that their opinions are going unheard?
(Obviously not the full story, of course - I'm sure these guys are more naturally violent anyway.)