‘In Lancaster, the people have been lovely’: A UK city resists riots

Lancaster, United Kingdom – The far right does not faze Sharon Mortlock.

As she drank her coffee and read her book, taking a break from her full-time role caring for her sick husband, dozens of agitators gathered in the picturesque picnic spot in Lancaster where she had chosen to have a break.

“This is my only outdoor space, this is like my garden,” she said. “I wasn’t moving for anybody.”

The agitators in the northern English city belonged to a growing far-right movement that has convulsed the nation. Riots have been erupting for a week against immigrants, Muslims and ethnic minorities.

They were sparked by disinformation on social media after a fatal stabbing attack in Southport,  a coastal town about 40 miles from Lancaster, on July 29 during which three girls were killed. Many posts suggested the suspect was a Muslim and a migrant. He is neither.

Ultimately, the attempt to rock Lancaster failed as counterprotesters outnumbered the agitators.

“They are worried about the number of people coming in and they’re looking at it as a bad thing instead of being more objective and open-minded about what immigrants can actually bring to the country,” said Mortlock.

While tensions were quelled in Lancaster, riots continue to sweep towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland as online provocateurs continue to seize upon anger over the Southport tragedy.

More then 400 people have been arrested in connection with the past week of far-right violence.

Overnight, riots erupted in Belfast, Darlington, and Plymouth.

Internationally, the UK’s reputation on the world stage has been damaged.

Global media coverage has delved into the explicitly racist nature of the riots. Nigeria, Australia, Malaysia, India and Indonesia are among the countries that have issued warnings to their citizens about the risks of the violence.

Disinformation and fears of the far right

Within the UK, figures such as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who operates under the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, and Nigel Farage, the MP who leads the populist Reform movement, have been accused of spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation that has fuelled the riots.

They have also sown distrust in the government and police.

Both have repeated the myth that the police employ a “two-tier” approach, which they claim unfairly favours minority groups and the left while punishing white protesters more severely.

Hassan, a 38-year-old who fled Sudan when the war broke in April 2023 and was later taken prisoner by armed groups in Libya, said he feels worried.

He arrived months ago to Lancaster. Staffers at Global Link, a local charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers, had warned him of Britain’s far-right strain.

“I feel unhappy,” Hassan told Al Jazeera through a translator. “I don’t know what I will do if local people don’t accept me.”

In Lancaster, for now at least, that appears unlikely. The city seems to thrive on community-led projects that welcome all.

Two of the city’s music venues, the Kanteena and the Ye Olde John O’Gaunt pub, promised to ban anyone who attended the planned far-right protest.

In nearby Preston and Blackburn, planned unrest wilted in the face of local opposition as in Lancaster.

A similar protest, planned for the traditional seaside resort of Blackpool, coincided with the town’s annual Rebellion punk festival. Attendees were reportedly among the first to turn upon the right-wing demonstrators.

“In Lancaster, all the people have been lovely with us,” said Wael, who left Damascus six years ago to avoid being conscripted into the Syrian army.

“I saw it yesterday,” he said of the response to the far-right protest. “It made me happy to see all these people supporting the refugees.”

But according to anti-racism groups, the violence looks set to continue in English towns and cities over the coming days. Buoyed by the success of Sunday’s counterprotest, the local Lancaster chapter of the national campaign group Stand Up To Racism say they are prepared.