Tragedy. Heartbreak. Loss. My heart goes out for the stabbing victims and their families, their lives snuffed away cruelly before they had the chance to embrace their future. Nothing can possibly compare. But what certainly doesn’t help, what makes things worse, is the violence and disorder being committed in the wake of the tragedy. Violence and disorder that brings shame to England.
The big lie
What happened in Southport was beyond tragic. My heart still bleeds, my eyes still weep and I am not even connected with what happened. But what makes me angry is that someone out there took the deaths and the pain and made it political.
The murderer was Cardiff-born, not an asylum seeker. The murderer was not on an MI6 watch list. The murderer’s name was not the name that was put all over social media. And none of it should have been broadcast while the investigation took place. The justice system has its way and all of this misinformation could have been detrimental to the case.
The consequences
Thugs, fear and fire. The streets of Southport set ablaze. Police officers injured, their cars overturned and torched. Sunderland, Hartlepool, London and many more. The violence spreads across England. Police stations burned. Mosques under threat. Businesses looted. A library torched. Communities laid waste to and so much more. People are living in fear, myself among them. How long before the riots spread further? How long before misinformation and fuel on social media brings them to the rest of our cities? Our towns? Our own doorsteps?
These are not local communities up in arms. These are communities under attack, being invaded by mobs from elsewhere in the country, mobs who do not speak for those communities or for England. Yet, they come and destroy the area, people’s belongings and livelihoods and move on to the next place. They leave the real people, the real community, to clean up after their destruction.
Pride in our communities
Nothing warms my heart in these difficult times than seeing the affected local communities coming together to repair and clean up. They shouldn’t have to but they are and it’s good to see them working together in the face of the chaos.
To all those denouncing England as a racist country, let me point you to this. This is the real England. Tolerant and inclusive. Full of communities who come together in the face of adversity, who sit in front of police vans to stop deportations and who stand up and counter-protest against the far-right fascists who do not speak for England in any way, shape or form. I am never ashamed to be English or British, but I am ashamed that those bigots seeking to cause harm share my nationality. It angers me that they carry my flag. These bigots who know nothing of our British Values.
But this needs dialled up to 100. In the wake of the far-right seeking to divide us, we must unite. In the wake of their racist hatred, we must show that we are a tolerant nation. We must show our communities, our country and our entire world that we welcome everyone. No matter your skin colour, religion, ethnicity, heritage, nationality, whatever: you are welcome here. Because that is the real England. It is the real Britain and we cannot let a minority criminals distort that. It is time to be loud and vocal and let everyone know that differences don’t matter, that no matter who you are, you are wanted and welcome.
May justice be served
These riots may merely be the beginning. If not stamped out now, then I worryingly predict that it could lead to far worse. The rioters are targeting innocent people based on race and religion. Anyone who stands up to them will no doubt be guilty by association. The police need to up their game. I don’t say this lightly, especially on the back of disturbing scenes at peaceful protests in recent years, but these aren’t peaceful protests. This is pure violence and aggression. Innocent people and police officers, are being hurt and they must respond.
When the dust settles and the peace returns, those responsible must be brought to justice. From the thugs on the streets to the keyboard warriors organising it to the politicians who were complicit in stirring up racial hatred. All must be held accountable.
These are dark days. But night must always end and the sun will rise once more on a peaceful nation. People will no longer need to live in fear because of their ethnicity. The nation will once again feel welcoming and loving. Until then, we must all do our best to convey warmth, welcome and love to those who feel targeted. And to those out there compelled to riot, if you truly love your country then stand down and stop the violence.
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