Hassaan

I don't know how to feel anymore. I can only hope that things die down during the week and the police do their thing, but I'm beginning to wonder if these riots have been planned, because it's quite clear at this point that it's nothing to do with what happened in Southport. Those poor girls have been completely forgotten.

This may not actually have any impact and is only loosely related to what we're talking about here, but I set this up a month ago and I think it gaining traction would be a good thing: https://www.change.org/p/criminalise-social-media-pile-ons

To be honest, I think it stopped being about what happened in Southport a few days ago. I think the people live streaming it and getting involved in setting a hotel on fire (which seems to have been what's happened today) don't care about the repercussions. Ditto Farage, Musk etc. In Birmingham we seem to have largely avoided any riots, thankfully. Surprising in a way because of how multi-cultural/diverse we are, but it seems the North attracts those people a lot more.

The Tories were obsessed with culture wars for many years. I guess this is the impact.

They should do. However, I remember the fuss that Naga Munchetty found herself in purely for calling Donald Trump racist. It's a shame that merely calling a spade a spade could put someone in danger but that seems to be where we are at. I don't remember the 2011 riots very much - I was only 14 at the time, but this seems to be worse than that. Let's face it, these current riots are only about creating division and hurting people. Frankly I don't believe any right-winger who says they care about the safety of children or whatever, and then goes ahead and does this.

He did a press conference about it all. I'd say he's been quite vocal about it. Naturally Farage has been quite vocal, interpreting it as him demonising the far right.

I'm reading that they attacked a random (?) black man in Manchester. Hopefully the police are switched on enough to diffuse it from now on. I can't fathom any of it though. I know what's led to it and social media has a lot to answer for, but you don't need to be the most intelligent person to know that none of this helps anyone. I don't believe those rioting care about what happened. You can't talk about protecting children's safety and throw bricks at a building.

Even if I wasn't Muslim, I'm very Muslim-looking so if I came across it, then that'd be an issue. Obviously, I'd steer clear and if I had to be around that place, I'd have someone with me, but it just takes one person.

I hope they make an example of them regardless. Needless to say I'm staying away from any cities over the next few weekends.

I don't think it's ever been clearly described as one, just a "far right group". There's National Action which was banned.

I'm surprised we're only now getting the "EDL should be considered a terrorist group". Especially if there end up being more rallies/riots this weekend. I don't have much memory of what went on in 2011 but it's not looking too dissimilar.

To be honest I think the people who voted for him know exactly what he's like and don't care.

More? Jesus. Do they not have anything better to do?

Maybe they should have a separate chart just for UK artists or something. At least then they don't get totally buried.

It's moving into "not all men" territory. Yes, not all football fans, but there's enough of them for that reputation to have taken hold in the first place. Somehow I don't think football fans being stereotyped will impact them, not that it's even the most important part of the whole saga.

I fail to see why my initial comment was so controversial. It's pretty clear what I meant and if it doesn't apply to you, what's the problem? No one who actually has something productive to do with their time takes part in a riot. Going to a football match is, by comparison, productive.

They could have done "cos I'm just human" but maybe that doesn't work as well in terms of rhyming.

I specifically said football hooligans, not football fans. Either way, that's the image that's out there.

It's what many people have been saying since Brexit - all of that just emboldened bigots and it only got worse since then. It's like the mask is fully off in many cases. Evidenced by the amount of people who treat Keir Starmer's violent disorder plan as him being a "traitor" and pigeon holing the far right as though it would have been anyone else who would target a mosque for no reason whatsoever.

It's not an unfair generalisation. How many times has violent disorder broken out at football? It's totally plausible to me that the worst of that crowd would be the ones rioting. Didn't you similarly have an issue with the "domestic violence increases when England lose" statistic being mentioned?

Where did I say all football fans? It's a very specific demographic. I stand by what I say when I said it was people looking for a fight.

Hooliganism. How many of those people were likely there because they had nothing better to do? Or were just looking for a fight?

The easy thing to say would be that he might have had incel tendencies, given he seemed to target girls, but I don't think it helps to speculate. I hope that he, and those who incited and took part in the riots, are dealt with.

Isn't the football season on a break? That probably doesn't help...

Correct. They felt that because of the gravity of what happened, it was best to name them.