My first experience with far-right riots was when I was 14-years-old. The English Defence League paraded through my small hometown on the outskirts of Birmingham in protest of a mosque being built in the area. I remember listening from my bedroom window as racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic slogans were chanted just a short walk away.
This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence in my neighbourhood but, naively, I hoped that things would get better. Now, 11 years on, far-right riots are terrorising the country in response to the murder of three young girls and subsequent misinformation, and my hope is fading.
Last Monday, three children were tragically killed in Southport, Merseyside, after being attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. In the following days, misinformation began to spread online about the killer being a Muslim refugee who arrived to Britain by boat. He was not any of these things, yet this didn’t stop far-right rioters attacking businesses, homes and a mosque in Southport.
Since then, riots have rapidly spread to other towns and cities, with agitators belonging to groups including the EDL, spewing anti-immigrant, racist and Islamophobic hatred. Violence is rife; businesses have been looted, people of colour have been randomly attacked, a hotel housing refugees in Birmingham was set on fire. As a Muslim woman of colour who wears the hijab, I’m more fearful for my safety now than ever.
Shah now fears for her safety following ongoing unrest and violence across the UK
In general, I remain vigilant on a daily basis. I stand away from the edge of the train platform, I avoid walking alone at night, and I have responses memorised for if, likely when, someone verbally attacks me because of my race or faith. At times like this, wearing the hijab feels like a target on my head. I feel increasingly unsafe and unprotected in the country I call home.
What makes this worse is the lack of condemnation and action from politicians and news outlets a week on. It took six whole days of rioting for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to make a statement on the matter, and some publications (who I would describe as partly responsible for fuelling far-right hatred) are still addressing the current unrest as “protests”. These are not protests, these are riots rooted in hatred and violence.
Being a person of colour in Britain right now feels bleak. It’s exhausting – cancelling or changing plans because you’re worried to go outside. Checking in on loved ones to make sure they are safe. Signing up to self-defence classes in order to best protect yourself. Never letting your phone battery fall too low in case of an emergency.
Shah finds solace in counter-protests tackling far-right violence
But, my hope isn’t completely diminished. I find solace in the rising counter-protests, which are often much larger in numbers, and in the communities coming together to condemn the racism targeting their homes – from locals helping clear up the remnants of protests in Southport and rebuild the attacked mosque to people using their voices online. While the response from the government, police and media has been poor, the general public have shown a determination not to let hate win.