The ongoing unrest in the UK has been labelled as the culmination of a certain misinformation spread on social media by leading news agencies. It is being circulated in the media that false information was spread regarding the ethnicity of the suspect who killed three little girls during a Taylor Swift themed dance event in Southport, Northern England.
To most its an agitation of the far-right, but many are failing to recognise it for what it is, that it is the deep seated anger borne out long history of crimes and ignorance. The ongoing unrest in the UK highlights a complex issue rooted in a history of immigration-related crimes and perceived governmental inaction. While some dismiss the agitation as far-right extremism, it is crucial to recognize that the protests stem from a longstanding sense of deprivation and perceived injustice. Instances such as the recent killings in Southport and other historical attacks, like those perpetrated by Ahmed Alid and Usman Khan, have fueled public anger and fear.
Not very long ago, from the latest killings; an asylum seeker Ahmed Alid killed a pensioner by stabbing him. His reason? Alid said that he was motivated by what was happening in Gaza.
Immigration is not an issue which popped out yesterday in the West but has become a burning issue. So much so that it was enough to make nationalist leaders setting trends in the whole European Elections. So much so that, Rishi Sunak’s whole tenure at the 10 Downing Street, was about ‘stopping the boats.’
In the latest turmoil, the leading agencies have turned a blind eye to the nature of these protests. The west has been actively suppressing the fact that there has been confrontation from the both the sides, calling it self-defense, and retaliatory. A certain faction is diligent in blaming far-right politicians for the ongoing protests, but they are failing to understand that this wasn’t caused due to an isolated incident of stabbing. It is a cause much prolonged sense of deprivation and injustice.
As of latest, counter protests to the initial protests have begun, with the slogan, “More of us than you”. “There are many, many more of us than you,” crowds of thousands chanted at protests across the country. The anti-immigration protests were labelled as violent, chaotic and dangerous to human lives, and the latest protests are being termed as peaceful. One will have to wait and watch how long these peaceful protests stay so.
UK’s growing anti-immigrant sentiment is not to be blamed on a single misinformed incident. Back in 2019, two people were killed and several other were severely injured by one Usman Khan in a terror attack at the London Bridge. Notably, the same individual was also convicted of terrorism offence in 2012, when he was part of a plot to carry out a bomb attack at the London stock exchange.
A teenager named Ahmed Hassan was found guilty of carrying out the 2017 Parson’s Green Tube bombing. The Iraqi teenager arrived in the UK as a child asylum seeker, had claimed that he was groomed by Islamic State group and was ‘trained to kill’. The attack injured 50 people.
Another incident dates back to 2017, when a man named Khalid Masood plowed a car into crowds of people gathered on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing a police officer outside the UK parliament. It was termed as one of the deadliest attacks of the decade at that time. These incidents were not only ones which affected the psyche of the hundred of citizens.
The issue of immigration has indeed been a persistent and divisive topic in the West, influencing political discourse and election outcomes. The latest protests and counter-protests reflect the deep divisions within society. Although some factions attribute the unrest to misinformation and far-right provocation, it is evident that the anger of the protesters is rooted in more profound concerns about safety, justice, and the impact of immigration policies.
Addressing these protests requires acknowledging the legitimate fears and frustrations of the population while also working towards solutions that promote unity and understanding.
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