FAITH leaders across the UK have united in fierce condemnation of the violent disorder, rioting, and racist incidents that erupted in multiple cities over the weekend, and have called for unity and calm.
The Government called an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday in response to the violent protests that broke out in London, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Hartlepool, Hull, Belfast, and elsewhere after the murder of three girls at a children’s dance party in Southport last week (News, 2 August).
A 17-year-old man, who’s being remanded in youth custody, has been charged with three counts of murder, ten of attempted murder, and one count of possessing a bladed article. He appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he was named as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, after the judge lifted reporting restrictions. A plea and trial preparation hearing has been set for Friday 25 October at Liverpool Crown Court.
Several hundred protesters rallied in cities within the UK over the weekend. Mosques, and hotels through which refugees and asylum-seekers are being temporarily housed, were among the many buildings targeted.
Police forces reported that a whole bunch of arrests had been made, including for and in reference to serious violent disorder and racially aggravated assault, after police cars were set alight, and debris, including glass bottles, were launched. Dozens of cops have been injured within the violence.
The protests have been triggered by far-right groups, who’ve targeted immigrants, and spread false rumours online that Rudakubana was an asylum-seeker. Merseyside Police confirmed last week that he had been born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims warned on Friday: “People who maliciously spread misinformation need to cause division and hatred in our communities, and it’s completely unacceptable. I’d proceed to ask people to be mindful of the damage that such actions may cause and to at all times query the source of knowledge when viewing anything on social media.”
An announcement was issued on Sunday by faith leaders in Merseyside, led by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd John Perumbalath. “Too many individuals have sought to make use of the tragedy to create division and hate.
“Division can destroy the very relationships and environment that we rely on each day of our lives and there is no such thing as a place for hate in our communities. It can — and has — left communities in fear and has put people at risk. At this difficult time, allow us to do not forget that there may be way more that unites than divides us.”
Volunteers within the cities have been helping to scrub up the mess, and were praised within the faith-leaders’ statement: “The people of all faiths and none who got here out to brush the streets, to rebuild partitions, and have so generously donated money in memory of those three girls: that’s the spirit that can help us through this incredibly difficult time.”
The statement, co-signed by Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, and Hindu community leaders, continued: “While the events of this week may proceed to shake our belief in humanity, it stays intact. We must remain calm and peaceful right now and as faith leaders, we’re united in our desire for peace and justice.”
These themes were common to reactions from church leaders this week.
Responding to the Liverpool statement on X, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “I also need to thank churches and other faith groups across the country who’re doing such vital work to take care of their communities and convey people together. As Christians we remember Christ’s command to like our neighbour — that is particularly vital right now and across the Church of England we’ll keep doing that.”
The Archbishop of York posted on X on Monday morning: “Deeply troubled and saddened by the continued senseless violence plaguing our streets, particularly across the north of England. This motion has no place in our society. Grateful for all those looking for peace in these communities, including our police forces for his or her dedication.”
On Thought for the Day on the Radio 4 Today programme on Monday, the Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, was frank about his “disgust” on the violent protests, which, he suggested, were based on a skewed understanding of what it means to belong.
“A standard factor appears to be the claim that the Britain they now live in doesn’t accord them the opportunities, status, and prosperity to which they feel entitled,” he said. “One person put it to me succinctly a number of years ago, after I spoke out against far-right marchers in my time as Bishop of Dudley. ‘This place used to belong to people like me. They respected men like my grandfather; now it’s been taken over by another person.’ The recurring chant of this week’s protesters — ‘Whose streets? Our streets’ — echoes that sentiment.”
He went on to discuss inclusion in a spiritual faith, and the way Jesus formed a community of believers across the Roman Empire. “People from all walks of life felt they belonged together as brothers and sisters,” he said. “What’s more, they learned to specific that belonging through acts of charity and generosity, each inside and beyond the church family. I see the identical after I observe Manchester’s other religious communities, and I have fun it.”
Dr Walker continued: “That’s why expressions of belonging grounded within the rejection of others are an anathema to the very core of my faith. It’s why banners and shouts that demand a return to a lost white, male hegemony — not least ones that clothe themselves in Christian symbols — disgust me.
“There will be no moral equivalence between racism and anti-racism, between inclusivity and bigotry, between hatred and love. The Britain we’d like to construct should be one where all are accepted, where everyone can find space to grow and flourish; a Britain that respects diverse constituents and cultures, and every thing from how communities dress to their right to construct distinctive places of worship.”
In Bristol, about 100 far-right protesters gathered near Castle Park on Saturday, where they were met by about 400 counter-protesters chanting anti-fascist slogans. Photographs emerged of counter-protesters linking arms to forestall the protesters from storming the Mercury Hotel, which houses asylum-seekers. Multiple arrests were made after clashes with police.
The Assistant Curate at St Mary Redcliffe, in Bristol, the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, said on Sunday: “As a community, we’re horrified on the scenes we saw last night at Redcliffe Hill, our community, where the protests took place.”
The church, she said, was “happy with the work we’ve done over the past few months with the hotel, reaching out to asylum-seekers and refugees. These are our neighbours, and we stand alongside them now in light of last night’s protests as much as we did before. I’m pleased to say that everybody within the hotel was physically protected, although acknowledging the psychological trauma that will have been experienced.”
THE Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper — who has condemned the protests as “disgraceful thuggery” — announced on Sunday a “rapid response process” which might offer mosques additional security personnel through the prevailing Protective Security for Mosques scheme.
She said: “As a nation we is not going to tolerate criminal behaviour, dangerous extremism, and racist attacks that go against every thing our country stands for.”
Also on Sunday, the Prime Minister, who met local leaders in Southport late last week, condemned the “far-right thuggery” and pledged to do “whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice”.
The director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, Sarah Teather, has urged the Government to take concrete motion, but in addition said that “every one in every of us has a responsibility to challenge the disinformation and racist, divisive rhetoric fuelling this hostility. . .
“People of color, members of the Muslim community, and other people looking for sanctuary have been deliberately targeted. Many of the refugees we serve and others in our communities reside with deep fear and insecurity following these attacks. . . Too often, people fleeing danger and looking for a probability to rebuild their lives here have been dehumanised by politicians and others able of influence.
“But scenes of individuals coming together within the hours following rioting, to take care of those affected and repair the physical damage, show the form of society that we will and truly need to be.”
A big, peaceful anti-racism protest gathered in Cardiff on Saturday in expectation of a planned far-right protest on Saturday, which didn’t, ultimately, materialise.
Canon Sarah Jones, who’s Priest-in-Charge of St John The Baptist, Cardiff, told the people gathered: “However indignant we would get — and there may be loads to be indignant about — peace and love will, ultimately, win this fight. . . What will diffuse that is smartness, care and love, somewhat than going head-to-head with aggression and burning the entire place down.”
The Bishops of the Church in Wales issued a joint statement on Monday calling for calm. “It is of no possible help to the victims or their families that their agonising loss is getting used to spark violence, intimidation, and division. Out of respect for many who have lost their family members, and out of respect for the values by which we live as a society, we call for calm, for tolerance, and for understanding.
“We have all seen the dreadful results of violence towards probably the most vulnerable, and we pray that, as we seek to come back to terms with these shocking events, reason and respect will prevail, and that nobody else will likely be put at risk or in fear.”
In Belfast, fireworks were thrown amid tense exchanges between an anti-Islamic group and an anti-racism rally.
The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd George Davison, and the Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Rt Revd David McClay, issued a joint statement on Monday.
“Words and actions that result in violence on our streets, the damage of property, and putting the protection of individuals in danger can’t be condoned but should be condemned by all of us. . .
“Jesus Christ taught that our neighbour is the person whom we meet, whatever their background, race or belief. It is imperative on the Church then, in every local context, to seek out ways to welcome the stranger . . . for all of us to work together, pursuing acts of welcome and kindness that are at all times stronger and more powerful than anything that flows from fear and prejudice.”
Five other children and two adults were injured within the knife attack. The adults — since confirmed to be Leanne Lucas, the category yoga teacher, and John Hayes, an area businessman who was stabbed within the leg — remain in hospital. The injured children are in a stable condition, the Alder Hey Hospital reported. Two children have been released from their care.
