Far-right response to Southport Outrage And Ongoing Violent Disorder

[Serge Forward]

I’m a disabled person with a chronic illness. I can no longer stand in solidarity on streets and picket lines, or doorsteps against warrant sales, as I did in the miners strike, the poll tax campaign, or even as recently as Kenmure Street when I was one of hundreds who turned away the immigration vans.

So. For all the good it will do, I have nonetheless written to my new Labour MP.

Dear MP

First of all, congratulations on your election.

These are not happy circumstances, however. I have been appalled by the far right violence erupting across the country. The BBC describes this as "protests", but they are nothing less than pogroms, targeting mosques and refugee hostels, as well as people simply perceived as "Muslim".

While the spark that lit this conflagration may well have been the misinformation spread about the suspect in the dreadful Southport atrocity, the fuel has been heaped up by the mainstream media and politicians when they talk of immigration as a "problem".

This has come from the Mail, the Express and the Sun, Farage, Patel and Braverman, but also the prime minister when as opposition leader he said there were "too many immigrants in the NHS", and the BBC when it constantly portrays migration, of whatever sort, as a "problem" to be "solved".

Make no mistake, we are in the midst of a parallel of Kristallnacht. People with brown skin are being beaten up by mobs. Citizens Advice Centres burnt down. Refugee hotels besieged by baying racists. This is but the violent tip of a much deeper pathology in this country's psyche. These attitudes of mistrust and xenophobia are rife, and instead of countering them our media and our politicians are pandering to them.

My wife and I have hosted refugees in our flat. We know that refugees are just people. People have migrated since the beginning of our species, and migration will only increase with the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the global social justice crisis.

War, heat, environment collapse and just a desire for better conditions will drive millions from their homes in coming years. These people are citizens of a planet. They will have to go somewhere. No amount of bureaucracy based on artificial lines drawn on maps will change that. No amount of "concern" over immigration expressed by "non-racists" will change that.

And more than that, people who are part of our communities, our neighbours, people born and raised alongside us, are being seen as "other". Are afraid to go out. Are viewed with suspicion.

I fear for our future. I look at the pogroms. I look at the foothold Farage has in Parliament. The disarray of the Conservative Party. The possibility of a realignment on the right. We are sleepwalking into very dangerous territory. Right now. And mealie mouthed pandering to "reasonable concerns" over immigration is absolutely not the way to deal with it.

I plead with you. Take heed. We must reverse the tide of hatred and mistrust, and reintroduce solidarity, empathy, community, love.


Yours sincerely.

That's a great letter. I'd nick it and send it to my own MP but unfortunately it's Liz Kendall. Worth doing for some of the newly elected Labour people to put them on notice, but I'd be wasting my time.

 

[maomao]

Your "widely understood" only works if you see the island of Ireland as somehow belonging to Britain.

There are a lot more than two islands in the British Isles.

 

[agricola]

The role of sanctioned genocide against Palestinians as background to this is an important topic but maybe too much of a derail for this thread. Tommy Robinson in his IDF shirt. Anti- middle Eastern racism is such a strong current in European racism and the new far right there. London having a "muslim mayor" has been reverberating around the continent for a while now etc

The Palestinian issues especially, I know the alt and far right could never be accused of intellectual consistency but surely even they would recognize that tens of thousands of dead kids and many more than that maimed are things that everyone should be concerned about, but apparently that is foreign extremism.

 

[Spymaster]

Your "widely understood" only works if you see the island of Ireland as somehow belonging to Britain.

Anyway, enough of this derail.

Anyone seeking to make that point in the context of Bish’s usage, is a tit.

But yes. Derail over.

 

[krtek a houby]

There are a lot more than two islands in the British Isles.

Atlantic Archipelago.

Or, my personal favourite - the Irish Isles

 

[cupid_stunt]

My brother was saying first thing he does when he employs a tradesman is to find their Facebook, if it's full of alt right shite, they're not getting the work.

I hadn't thought of that, but I will do that in future, thanks for mentioning it.

 

[krtek a houby]

Anyone seeking to make that point in the context of Bish’s usage, is a tit.

But yes. Derail over.

But not before you got your beefy slag in, eh

 

[Serge Forward]

Anyone seeking to make that point in the context of Bish’s usage, is a tit.

But yes. Derail over.

That's how you end a derail, with an insult? I'll not insult you back but will provide a quote, so hopefully we can put an end to this derail.

From World and its Peoples: Ireland and United Kingdom, London: Marshall Cavendish, 2010, p. 8

The nomenclature of Great Britain and Ireland and the status of the different parts of the archipelago are often confused by people in other parts of the world. The name British Isles is commonly used by geographers for the archipelago; in the Republic of Ireland, however, this name is considered to be exclusionary. In the Republic of Ireland, the name British-Irish Isles is occasionally used. However, the term British-Irish Isles is not recognized by international geographers. In all documents jointly drawn up by the British and Irish governments, the archipelago is simply referred to as "these islands."

 

[Elpenor]

Hampshires Tory PCC and chair of the association of the PCC has tweeted and deleted this statement

Blames a lack of British values and uncontrolled immigration as the root cause. Call on Starmer to tackle these.

And to acknowledge the views of the fascist rioters.

Now deleted presumably because she realised it isn’t a dog whistle when you can hear it.

 

[cyberfairy]

Still all going in Lancaster, heard rumours that more Nazis coming on train. Local support amazing, normal shoppers calling them 'thick twats'. Standoff at town hall, motorists beeping support to the ant-fash protesters.

 

[krink]

Regarding Sunderland again, just a quick note about that brilliant post about Leanne from Leanne's Removals getting nicked. She was there and actively involved all the way through the racist riot and her company is so notorious there's at least 3 Facebook groups made by pissed off customers. They're well known scumbags.

 

[Lotte]

Protecting Britain's sovereignty is a meaningless concept. What does it even mean? What identity are they protecting? We're out of the EU for starters, I thought that was one of the motivators behind Brexit. And if a police commissioner is saying that, that's even more reason why counter-protestors shouldn't depend on police. She's far more sympathetic to the rioters than the people they're attacking.

 

[existentialist]

Why do they mostly wear face mask? I thought they were opposed to wearing face masks and call them face nappies, at least they did during the pandemic?

Masses of creative flexibility. They'll believe the sky is blue when it suits them, and that it is green when it doesn't.

 

[Elpenor]

Protecting Britain's sovereignty is a meaningless concept. What does it even mean? What identity are they protecting? We're out of the EU for starters, I thought that was one of the motivators behind Brexit. And if a police commissioner is saying that, that's even more reason why counter-protestors shouldn't depend on police. She's far more sympathetic to the rioters than the people they're attacking.

That PCC would seem to be on the Braverman wing of the Tory party and I think SB constituency is in Hampshire too. Hopefully that’s not a view taken seriously by anyone else.

 

[lengualo]

Protecting Britain's sovereignty is a meaningless concept. What does it even mean? What identity are they protecting? We're out of the EU for starters, I thought that was one of the motivators behind Brexit. And if a police commissioner is saying that, that's even more reason why counter-protestors shouldn't depend on police. She's far more sympathetic to the rioters than the people they're attacking.

Protecting our sovereignty and values = racism. Unashamedly racist.

I have never yet had anyone who uses those terms be able to explain what they mean without saying something explicitly racist or just getting angry and threatening or storming off in a huff.

 

[Humberto]

Masses of creative flexibility. They'll believe the sky is blue when it suits them, and that it is green when it doesn't.

I've seen comments around online this morning that the looting is the fault of left wing 'agent provocateurs'.

 

[danny la rouge]

Protecting our sovereignty and values = racism. Unashamedly racist.

Yup, and as a response to pogroms? Not a dog whistle. An incitement.

 

[Lotte]

That PCC would seem to be on the Braverman wing of the Tory party and I think SB constituency is in Hampshire too. Hopefully that’s not a view taken seriously by anyone else.

It's really interesting how she has far more sympathy for the rioters than the people they're attacking, isn't it. And yes, Fareham is SB's territory.

 

[tim]

The mainland is Europe. Britain and Ireland are islands off Europe.

Great Britain is an Island as are Ireland, Man, Wight, Mainland (Orkney), Mainland (Shetland), Canvey, Lundy, and loads of others in this archipelago.

 

[keybored]

I've seen comments around online this morning that the looting is the fault of left wing 'agent provocateurs'.

Every. Fucking. Time.

 

[barlimo]

Why do they mostly wear face mask? I thought they were opposed to wearing face masks and call them face nappies, at least they did during the pandemic?

They don't want to be recognised.

 

[Pickman's model]

I've seen comments around online this morning that the looting is the fault of left wing 'agent provocateurs'.

I'd like to think lw ap's would loot something worth taking

 

[cyberfairy]

 

[Pickman's model]

They don't want to be recognised.

But we've got your number

 

[Humberto]

Every. Fucking. Time.

I watched a live stream of County Road last night and as I'm sure to nobody's surprise it was local young-uns. Many showing their faces.

 

[The39thStep]

It's really interesting how she has far more sympathy for the rioters than the people they're attacking, isn't it. And yes, Fareham is SB's territory.

Wait till you read what the Chief Constables of Liverpool and Manchester said about the 1980s riots

 

[two sheds]

They're hopefully going to have to release a lot of prisoners who've only been convicted of non-payment of tv licence or other fines. And perhaps as suggested repurpose Bibby Stockholm - I'm sure a lot of the rioters have pointed out how luxurious it is.

 

[ska invita]

surely even they would recognize that tens of thousands of dead kids and many more than that maimed are things that everyone should be concerned about

of course not - Palestinians are Arabs and barely humans in the racist hierarchy

 

[Boo Radley75]

They don't want to be recognised.

Not quite the proud patriots doing something for a cause they strongly believe in, that they claim to be, then. Just a bunch of unpatriotic, cowardly criminals.

 

[keybored]

I watched a live stream of County Road last night and as I'm sure to nobody's surprise it was local young-uns. Many showing their faces.

Every time in recent history the far right kick off and act like a bunch of degenerates they'll blame left wing provocateurs the very next day. Jan 6 being a prime example.

We need a bingo card for all the excuses.

antifa infiltrators
2-tier policing
Soros
...