We have been horrified by the far-right riots and violence that have unfolded in England and other parts of the UK in recent weeks. 

This violence is motivated entirely by Islamophobia, racism and anti-migrant sentiment. The groups and individuals committing this violence do not represent the UK or British values or concerns, as demonstrated by the protestors that turned up in their thousands in response to the riots.

However, this violence does demonstrate what happens when hateful language is allowed to dominate public discourse unchallenged. It is a consequence of years of anti-migrant language which has taken over our politics and media. 

Abuse and physical attacks on communities and people of colour should be called out for what they are. Attacks on mosques, far-right slogans, and Nazi salutes cannot be interpreted as anything but extreme racism and violence. This is much more than ‘thuggery’. 

Disinformation has been allowed to run rampant across social media, further inciting riots and violence. If the owners of social media platforms will not take action to limit disinformation – which is clearly translating into real-life violence – the Government must. 

To ensure a strong response to future violence, we call on the Prime Minister to: 

• Take a stronger stance against language which normalises and promotes Islamophobic, racist, and anti-migrant sentiment. 
• Meet regularly with community representatives and grassroots groups to ensure the Government’s response is informed by the experiences of communities affected by these riots, including asylum seekers and others who have been targeted in these attacks.
• Explore more robust measures for holding those who create and propagate disinformation to account, including legal penalties.