We Can’t Ignore the Racism and Islamophobia Fueling Riots in the UK

UK Government Needs to Tackle Threat Posed by the Far Right

Far-right activists protest in Sunderland, England, August 2, 2024. © 2024 Drik/Getty Images

The UK has been rocked by far-right riots this week. Racist mobs have targeted mosques and asylum seeker accommodation, Muslims and people of color have been attacked, and police have been injured. In Rotherham, South Yorkshire, asylum seekers were trapped in their accommodation as rioters smashed windows and set the building on fire.

The riots are being fueled by racist and Islamophobic misinformation shared online, which should focus policymakers’ minds on how easily social media platforms can be harnessed to promote hate. The misguided and ignorant interventions of X, formerly known as Twitter, owner Elon Musk should also raise serious questions about how these platforms are managed, with parliamentarians suggesting Musk be called in to answer questions.

Read more on the original article : https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/08/we-cant-ignore-racism-and-islamophobia-fueling-riots-uk