From words to violence: How racist rhetoric and scapegoating is fuelling the ongoing far-right violence 

In response to the recent surge in organised racist, Islamophobic and violent riots across the United Kingdom, we, Seraphus, stand in solidarity with those targeted by these despicable acts. The disturbing wave of far-right violence has not only inflicted fear upon racialised communities but has also attacked the institutions dedicated to supporting migrants and asylum seekers. Attacks have been committed against mosques, hotels housing asylum seekers and community spaces across the country. This coordinated violence is a direct result of years of hateful rhetoric spread by the media, politicians and inflammatory government communications and policies that have fostered an increasingly ‘hostile environment’ where such brutality is possible.

The impact of these riots has been deeply felt by people of colour, particularly Muslims, who are facing harassment, threats, and physical assaults. Families are terrified to send their children to school, workers are fearful of leaving their homes, and individuals are anxious about attending places of worship. This climate of fear is the direct consequence of a society where racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia have been fuelled and allowed to thrive unchecked. 

The recent violence is a coordinated and deliberate assault on vulnerabalised communities. Women in hijabs, asylum seekers, and people of colour, especially black and brown men, have been specifically targeted. These acts are not merely expressions of discontent but are calculated attempts to terrorise and marginalise these groups further. 

The murder of three children, Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe at a Taylor Swift themed dance session in Southport on 29 July 2024, has been exploited as a pretext to justify the violence. After speculation and misinformation spread across the internet that the suspected perpetrator of the attack was a Muslim migrant, far right rioters terrorised a community organised vigil for the victims. Far right networks have exploited this event as an opportunity to mobilise followers, organising violent marches across the UK which have specifically targeted people of colour, Muslims, asylum seekers and migrants. The violence has escalated far beyond what many media platforms have referred to as ‘protests’. Fascist rioters attempted to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers in both Rotherham and Tamworth after the Labour MP from Tamworth revealed the location of the hotel in parliament, Muslim businesses have been set alight in towns across the country and people of colour have been subject to violence and terror in the streets.

The responsibility for this widespread violence extends beyond the perpetrators to include politicians and media platforms. This violence has been enabled by a culture of increasingly inflammatory rhetoric and the enaction of racist and anti-migration government policies. Politicians have scapegoated migrants and Muslims to distract from government failures to address systemic issues of poverty, inequality, disentrancement and social unrest in the UK. This divisive rhetoric has not only normalised racism and Islamophobia but has also served to embolden far-right extremists, creating an environment in which violence thrives.

It is crucial to dismantle the false narrative that far-right rioters are expressing “legitimate concerns” about immigration. This violence is not an expression of protest, rather it is designed to spread terror and division. These violent attacks take the Home Office’s ‘hostile environment’ policy to its natural conclusion, where migrants, people of colour and anyone who is constructed as an ‘outsider’ to white British society fear physical hostility and violence may be enacted against them. Real systemic issues currently facing our country—such as the housing crisis, NHS waiting times, child poverty and rising homelessness—are the result of governmental failures and cannot be blamed upon the presence of migrants or people of colour in the UK. Blaming these communities for the nation’s problems is both Racist, wrong and dangerously misleading.

Many organisations dedicated to supporting migrants and asylum seekers have been under attack as part of this broader wave of violence. A list of over 30 immigration law firms, legal aid organisations, and asylum support centres which were due to be targeted for attacks was released in the last weeks, seeking to undermine any form of assistance provided to vulnerable groups. This targeting is rooted in the same harmful rhetoric that portrays migrants and refugees as ‘illegal’ or part of an ‘invasion,’ and singles out specific communities for scapegoating. For example, Keir Starmer’s recent comments about deporting Bangladeshis have contributed to this climate of hostility, further stigmatising already marginalised groups and giving tacit approval to those who seek to act on these divisive and dangerous narratives.

The attacks on institutions defending the rights of migrants and asylum seekers are not isolated incidents but the continuation of coordinated violence aimed to delegitimise and dismantle support systems for minority communities. The widespread rhetoric attacking “lefty” lawyers and legal aid organisations, which has been invoked by politicians for years, is indicative of the broader campaign to dehumanise and criminalise racialised people.

In the face of the concerning rise of racism and violence, we have also witnessed the ability of the people of Britain to come together to condemn the attacks. On the evening of 07 August 2024, thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate. Gathering to protect local communities, demonstrators united in response to reports of further attacks against a list of targets, including refugee charities and immigration law firms. Placards reading ‘Nans against Nazis’ and ‘Refugees welcome’ were raised high as demonstrators united in the streets to stand against racism, Islamophobia and send a message of welcome to refugees and migrants. 

To address this crisis, we call upon the government and media to take immediate and decisive action. Politicians and media personalities alike should be held accountable for their perpetuation of divisive rhetoric and racist scapegoating and focus on addressing the root causes of inequality and social unrest. We call on the government to recall parliament and condemn recent violence as racist and Islamophobic. We must ensure that the communities targeted by this violence can access justice and live safely, both online and offline. This includes ensuring the safety of mosques and other community spaces and building strong bonds within our communities so we can keep each other safe, especially at a time where many vulnerabalised individuals feel terrorised by the threat of racist violence. The media must desist from, and play a role in rejecting, dehumanising language and racism, holding political figures accountable for their harmful rhetoric and disputing misinformation.

On a personal level, each of us, particularly those who are not the immediate targets of racist violence, has a duty to fight against hatred and support those most at risk. By coming together in solidarity, we can demonstrate that our communities are stronger and more resilient than those who seek to divide us.

We support the call of Right to Remain, who are calling for the immediate suspension of in-person immigration reporting due to the risk of individuals encountering racist attacks when travelling to Home Office reporting centres or police stations.These locations have been the target of far-right riots and to expect reporting to continue as usual exposes individuals to the risk of physical assault or to the consequences of breaching their bail conditions if they feel unable to attend. 

As a firm committed to justice and human rights, Seraphus unequivocally condemns recent acts of racist and Islamophobic violence and the harmful rhetoric perpetuated by politicians and the media which has enabled far right extremist groups to mobilise. We stand in solidarity with those targeted and reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or immigration status. Only by confronting the root causes of hatred and standing together with unity and respect, can we hope to build a society where everyone can live free from racism.