UN looks at racist violence after recent far-right...

UN looks at racist violence after recent far-right riots in England

Agathe Meyer

Zim Now Writer

A committee of 18 independent experts has condemned the racist violence committed during the recent riots in England, calling for “severe sanctions” from the authorities.

On August 23, 2024, a UN committee expressed its concern at the rise in racist violence in the UK, illustrated by the recent far-right riots, and called on the authorities to take action, including imposing “severe sanctions”.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, made up of eighteen independent experts, examined the situation in the UK on August 13 and 14 as part of its regular assessment.

In its conclusions, the committee expressed particular concern at the recurrence of racist acts and violence targeting ethnic minorities, ethno-religious communities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. These acts are perpetrated by white supremacist and far-right individuals and groups, including the violence that broke out at the end of July and beginning of August.

These riots, the most serious the UK has seen since 2011, affected dozens of towns and villages in England and Northern Ireland, following the stabbing attack that claimed the lives of three girls on July 29, 2024.

Rumours, falsely spread by influential far-right accounts on social networks, falsely portrayed the suspect as a Muslim asylum seeker, unleashing a wave of xenophobic and racist violence the day after the attack.

In response to this situation, numerous arrests were made, notably for online hate publications. The police arrested over 1,000 people in connection with the riots. CERD expressed its concern at the “persistence of hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents”, whether on online platforms or on the part of politicians and public figures in the UK.

The committee, which monitors the implementation of the International Convention on the

Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by state parties, urged the UK to take steps

to “reduce racist hate speech and xenophobic rhetoric”. It also stressed the need for “thorough

investigations and severe penalties,” to combat racist crimes.

The committee also expressed concern about institutional racism in the police and judiciary. It criticised certain police practices, such as stops and searches, which disproportionately target ethnic minorities.

The committee also denounced the excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, which particularly affects people of African descent and other ethnic minorities