Before I start this article, I would just like to send my thoughts and prayers out to the family members and friends of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, as well as all the other individuals and families affected by the tragic attack in Southport. I would also like to extend my thoughts and prayers to all those who are now suffering due to the horrific scenes we have seen on the streets of Britain in the days after the attack.
The Riots………………..
One thing I would like to make clear before I start is that before the recent protests turned into riots, there were a significant number of people attending the protests who weren't ERW (Extreme Right-Wing) activists, they were people who have for years been feeling ignored, become frustrated and because of the power of social media, went on the streets to be heard, because many felt angry about what was being reported on social media.
Feeling angry, and inflamed by emotive posts on social media, their anger took control with many people going onto the streets with calls of Enough Is Enough!
But What Is Going On?
Having had some genuine concerns, many have felt powerless for years to say anything because of fear of being called a Nazi, a Bigot or a Racist. But this doesn’t help. Labels make things worse and can radicalise people further, pushing people to become more extreme, not less. So what is the answer? As a society, we need to open up discussion groups and have more honest discussions around controversial topics, including – migration, identity politics, grooming, religion, genders and many other areas, most want to talk about, but we should, because if we don’t- extremists will.
As a proud, Inclusive patriot. I love being English, and I’m very proud of many of our traditions, our heritage and culture. I love our high streets and with it the community we have and seeing our communities devastated, our shops smashed up and looted and hotels attacked and set alight I wonder why?
Why would people angry and frustrated do this to their own communities, because when sense prevails and the lies and misinformation are seen for what they are, the result is many of our communities have all now been damaged, be it through violence and chaos, because that is what it was or through conversations in our homes, workplaces and schools.
Rebuilding the communities damaged, wider society and trying to find answers to the hate and violence we saw, will not be easy. The damage done will not be fixed in 6 months, 2 or 5 years. The feeling of anger hasn’t gone away, it’s still there, festering, building and growing under the surface, where it has been for decades. The riots started because of false information and lies told by dedicated activists. The individual who murdered those poor children was the child of an immigrant, not an immigrant himself and was brought up a Christian NOT a Muslim. Yet despite this, the sentiment of many of the rioters was still anti-immigration and this cannot be forgotten or ignored, because as we have seen, with just one incident this nation can explode very quickly.Looking at those on the protests and those that went on to riot later, many of those had an anti-Muslim agenda. So how does an anti-Islam/Muslim agenda end up with a smashed-up Greggs?
For many of us, Greggs is a British institution, feeding us when we are at work and keeping the nation going, so how does the anger and resentment result in such action? We have to sit back, think about what has happened and start having conversations in our communities about what is happening and what can be done, before it's too late, because we have seen how quickly things can escalate.Having seen how extremism can impact people, we believe all violence is wrong and solves anything.
Looking at what the riots have achieved, we can see already there are hundreds of people going to court for criminal behaviour, resulting in people going to prison for not just months , but years.
Getting arrested can change your life forever. Not only can it affect your career prospects, but it can also affect where you can travel with certain countries having very strict entry restrictions on who they grant visa’s to, and if you have a criminal record, especially when it’s linked to violence and hate crime this could lead to you getting your visa denied.
In the wake of the riots and as we look around at what has actually changed?
Has the ERW achieved anything, have they achieved their goals? Have they achieved their objectives? Because as far as many of us can see, nothing has changed. Having said all of this, I don’t hate the rioters, in fact I don’t hate anyone anymore.
I don’t think most of them were Nazis. I think most of them are ordinary people that love, and care about their country, but they were lied to by extremists and then motivated via emotion, not facts, resulting in them being misled, misinformed, groomed and manipulated by ERW activists and groomers who care about no-one other than their cause.
Having been involved in extremism, I know this because I have been in similar situations to those on the protests and although I have never rioted, I have attended street demonstrations and seen how things can change very quickly.
During protests people risk losing their friends and family, risk getting kicked out of school/college, losing their jobs, risk getting hurt and arrested and ultimately risk ruining their career prospects.So, please. Think before you attend any protests. Think about the risks, what might happen to you and those you love and think about the reality of what you are doing. Will it change anything?The only thing that will happen is your life will get ruined. We are one of the most watched countries on earth with CCTV everywhere, from local councils to peoples doorbells, there is no escape, so don’t get involved in protests. The courts are not holding back and if you get caught doing anything illegal, then you will go to court and you will, if guilty suffer the consequences, if you commit a criminal offence.
So What Can You Do?
Talk to someone, you can reach out to support from Prevent, ACT Early or if you prefer lived experience support you can get in touch with Exit Hate - Stop rioting and talk to us at Exit Hate Trust instead.
Never using labels, we don’t care what group you have been in, what ideology you support all we care about is helping you walk away from extremism if you want to. We aren’t here to judge and offer non-judgmental support. We are non-political and are not here to have in-depth conversations on politics. Instead, we want to help people who want to walk away from hate and help people build new lives away from hate and extremism.
If you have a family member who supports extremism and want some help dealing with whats happening, we will offer a listening ear and have a dedicated family support officer who will help you.
Need help or fancy a chat? Contact – info@exithate.org and we will get in touch as soon as we can.
A Young Former
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