EVOKING the imagery of a nation in flames, recent headlines, “Tinderbox Britain” and “Riots engulf Britain,” from the Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times respectively, have ignited fear and concern amongst the British public. In Scotland, this wording has caused additional confusion and anxieties that transcend media sensationalism.
On X, Henry Orr expresses concern over ambiguity in media reporting on the location of these riots. Posting an image of these headlines, he writes: “See the problem here ? Britain is an island of 3 countries. I do not see any riots in Wales or Scotland. This is a crisis of social identity for those who are rioting in England. Not for the first time either. It needs to be properly addressed. It’s not a policing problem.” More than 1,800 people agree.
READ MORE: Police issue statement amid fears of far-right hate march in Glasgow
To some this may seem like a technical error; England is part of Britain after all. However, for many living in Scotland this is not a trivial issue, in particular Muslims and people of colour who rely on the media to determine their public safety, like a weather alert system for extremism; and whose safety is determined by responsible media reporting.
At the time of writing there have been no reports of riots in Scotland related to extremism since the Southport attack. The British media claims that the riots in England and Northern Ireland were primarily organised by ex-members of the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right anti-Islam group that has been inactive for more than a decade.
The EDL has always been deeply unpopular in Scotland. A YouGov study of views on the EDL, published in October 2012, when the organisation was still active, found that “agreement with the values of the EDL (but not its methods) is highest in northern England (27%) and the Midlands (27%) regions, but lowest in London (20%) and Scotland (9%).”
One possible reason for this may be our differing views on immigration. The Migration Observatory found that 52% of Britons believe immigration should be decreased, but a study by Migration Policy Scotland found only 28% of Scots feel the same. This unpopularity did not dissuade Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the alias Tommy Robinson, from attempting to spread anti-Islam disinformation related to a recent stabbing in Stirling, wrongly identifying the attacker as Muslim.
READ MORE: Glasgow charities shut offices amid fears of far-right protests
The connection of the riots to the EDL has left many Scots confused as to what to expect in the coming days. Could rhetoric meant for an English audience mobilise enough people to cause riots in Scotland?
According to the Metro, it can. It claims there are plans for events to be held outside the Islamic Centre in Glasgow in the following weeks. These are serious claims.
In article “How Tommy Robinson’s right-hand man led the EDL to hijack murders of three children”, Metro claimed that: “During research for this article, Metro uncovered planned events outside an Islamic centre in Belfast, in Liverpool and Glasgow in the weeks ahead.”
However, responding to concerns about similar events being planned in Scotland, a spokesperson for Police Scotland stated: “There is no current intelligence indicating similar incidents are likely in Scotland, but we will continue to monitor developments,” and Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken mirrored the police response, emphasising that the division and disinformation being spread was not welcome in Glasgow. She wrote on X: “Glasgow City Council has received no notification of any rally but then we know Tommy Robinson and his ilk don’t really care about respecting laws or public places. He’s not welcome in Glasgow and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric”.
READ MORE: Glasgow charity warns refugees to be 'vigilant' amid far-right violence
Neither Police Scotland nor Glasgow City Council are aware of plans for a rally or similar event to be held in Glasgow. With conflicting reports and no supporting evidence provided, this puts the validity of the Metro’s claims into question.
Why is this concerning? In March many Muslims revealed that they were too afraid to leave their house after dark. Furthermore, the Islamophobia Response Unit, a London charity, reported that since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, Islamophobic incidents have increased by 365%.
The Southport stabbing has sparked a campaign of disinformation on social media, with concerns that irresponsible reporting may have fuelled the riots that have resulted in Muslim people and people of colour being harassed and assaulted.
In times of heightened extremism, minorities rely on media reporting to gauge their safety based on their location. If the Metro does have evidence of similar events being planned in Glasgow, they have a duty to inform the police or the council. If the claims are not supported by legitimate evidence, they have contributed to the spread of fear, and caused a great deal of unnecessary worry for those in the Glasgow area.
The conflicting claims highlight a need for newspapers to report responsibly, and to work with police and local authorities to prevent similar events from occurring.
Joe-Anna McKay
via email
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