Excellent reporting. I disagree though that it was the police presence that deterred the far right last night as that's never worked before, it was the huge community turn out.
In what I suspect* is a rare occurrence, your view is also that of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who just stated on the BBC that the community response as well as the increased police presence was a big factor.
It’s a sobering read, David, so thanks for a healthy dose of reality. As you say, it’s the ransacking locals that really pierce the heart. No politics there, just racism and robbery.
The several-hundred strong counter-protest in Liverpool last night was a ray of hope after such a dark week. Communities coming together with a loving message to drown out those who would hate and divide us. We all have a responsibility to fight against the far right’s ideas, and the often-dismal economic conditions that these malicious actors exploit.
Such a terrible read with disturbing accounts. I am not sure the far-right description fits a large number of the horrible bastards involved. There is a significant minority in Liverpool who pretty much despise everything in authority. A number of them would have been there at the peaceful protest and have nothing in common with the county rd fools other than that. There are deep divisions in the city with poor people getting poorer, and poor immigrants arriving, who can only afford property and housing in those areas.
It is terrifying that this happened here, but if I am honest, I am not surprised. The telegram group Fedspotta has 20k followers, it is a Merseyside based group for what can only be described as criminals, to share information and hateful content about police and their activities. The same police who attended the attack in Southport and plenty of whom ended up in hospital dealing with the scum there in the subsequent riot.
Is that telegram group ‘far-right’? There are those who espouse those views there and are called out, by others who are also criminals (but not racist ones obviously). My view is that the picture is very complicated, and even more so in Liverpool, due to the local disenfranchisement on almost every level with authority. I’m not saying that all will be ok if we back the police, but I am saying that we shouldn’t only back them when they give out some street justice to dickheads we hate.
Thank you David for yet another excellent article. I am somewhat surprised at the level of emotion reading this has evoked in me especially reading Darren's comments about the effect these events have had on the children at Walton Youth centre.😔 I know the centre very well as I live in close proximity and love the support Darren, Katie and the team at Walton's Youth & Community centre provide local children their families and our community.
Its ironic that the objective of a Street party planned for the 4th August but which sadly was cancelled , was to help connect our neighbours with each other especially our elders and young people and to celebrate the diversity of our neighbourhood, our community...
The reprehensible events of destruction, looting and violence by the great unwashed illiterati who spout the racist rhetoric of toilet papers like 'The Sun' and worse publicly elected officials who are seemingly immune from prosecution for racist comments, policies and actions are merely symptoms of THAT elephant in the room.
They refuse to or are too dumb to recognize the connection between 'Us' exploiting other people's countries
'Us' funding and/ or orchestrating coups, conflicts and wars for 400+ years and the subsequent plight of citizens of those now orchestrated war-torn countries seeking refuge here by 'the small-boat loads'!
And what of Walton?
Well the stench of stupid racists makes you vigilante that's for sure!
But my community has always felt welcoming to me. And I know that I would not be standing alone on a frontline if it came to it.
Its sad to see the shops destroyed by numbskulls, people whose livelihoods and families have been affected.
I'd like to hear any of our local councillors or mp's public statements of support or initiatives to assist.
The part where the local girl who'd stolen goods then returned the following day, was upsetting to read.
It reminded me of a comment to an article on the disturbances I came across: ' Tracy said " it was shocking to me to discover how many friends were racist".
For me the solution to racism is simple,
It starts with having those uncomfortable sometimes painful conversations about racism, its roots and societal construct to divide US from each other.
" Until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another inferior,
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned;
Everywhere is war.
...Until the colour of a Man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war.
That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race
Is a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
world citizenship
Rule of international morality,
Will remain but a fleeting illusion,
To be pursued, but never attained.
Now everywhere is war, war..."
Extract from Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia's speech to League of Nations 1936.
Someone once told me to join the Republic of Liverpool Facebook group. I looked at it's page and someone had asked what would they do if they saw someone shoplifting. Dozens of replies. Some said they'd do nothing. Lots said they'd help them.
Excellent reporting. I disagree though that it was the police presence that deterred the far right last night as that's never worked before, it was the huge community turn out.
In what I suspect* is a rare occurrence, your view is also that of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who just stated on the BBC that the community response as well as the increased police presence was a big factor.
(*based on your posts on here previously)
It’s a sobering read, David, so thanks for a healthy dose of reality. As you say, it’s the ransacking locals that really pierce the heart. No politics there, just racism and robbery.
The several-hundred strong counter-protest in Liverpool last night was a ray of hope after such a dark week. Communities coming together with a loving message to drown out those who would hate and divide us. We all have a responsibility to fight against the far right’s ideas, and the often-dismal economic conditions that these malicious actors exploit.
Great article.
Besides the Nazis, the other people who burn books are Boko Haram, the Islamist group in West Africa, the name of course meaning books forbidden.
How ironic that the Islamophobes of County Road share this defining characteristic of extreme bigotry.
And for balance, let’s not forget the banning and burning of books by Christian fundamentalists in the USA.
It hurts to read this, but I am so glad I did. It's so much better to see the whole event in the round, and in the deep. Thank you.
Such a terrible read with disturbing accounts. I am not sure the far-right description fits a large number of the horrible bastards involved. There is a significant minority in Liverpool who pretty much despise everything in authority. A number of them would have been there at the peaceful protest and have nothing in common with the county rd fools other than that. There are deep divisions in the city with poor people getting poorer, and poor immigrants arriving, who can only afford property and housing in those areas.
It is terrifying that this happened here, but if I am honest, I am not surprised. The telegram group Fedspotta has 20k followers, it is a Merseyside based group for what can only be described as criminals, to share information and hateful content about police and their activities. The same police who attended the attack in Southport and plenty of whom ended up in hospital dealing with the scum there in the subsequent riot.
Is that telegram group ‘far-right’? There are those who espouse those views there and are called out, by others who are also criminals (but not racist ones obviously). My view is that the picture is very complicated, and even more so in Liverpool, due to the local disenfranchisement on almost every level with authority. I’m not saying that all will be ok if we back the police, but I am saying that we shouldn’t only back them when they give out some street justice to dickheads we hate.
Thank you David for yet another excellent article. I am somewhat surprised at the level of emotion reading this has evoked in me especially reading Darren's comments about the effect these events have had on the children at Walton Youth centre.😔 I know the centre very well as I live in close proximity and love the support Darren, Katie and the team at Walton's Youth & Community centre provide local children their families and our community.
Its ironic that the objective of a Street party planned for the 4th August but which sadly was cancelled , was to help connect our neighbours with each other especially our elders and young people and to celebrate the diversity of our neighbourhood, our community...
The reprehensible events of destruction, looting and violence by the great unwashed illiterati who spout the racist rhetoric of toilet papers like 'The Sun' and worse publicly elected officials who are seemingly immune from prosecution for racist comments, policies and actions are merely symptoms of THAT elephant in the room.
They refuse to or are too dumb to recognize the connection between 'Us' exploiting other people's countries
'Us' funding and/ or orchestrating coups, conflicts and wars for 400+ years and the subsequent plight of citizens of those now orchestrated war-torn countries seeking refuge here by 'the small-boat loads'!
And what of Walton?
Well the stench of stupid racists makes you vigilante that's for sure!
But my community has always felt welcoming to me. And I know that I would not be standing alone on a frontline if it came to it.
Its sad to see the shops destroyed by numbskulls, people whose livelihoods and families have been affected.
I'd like to hear any of our local councillors or mp's public statements of support or initiatives to assist.
The part where the local girl who'd stolen goods then returned the following day, was upsetting to read.
It reminded me of a comment to an article on the disturbances I came across: ' Tracy said " it was shocking to me to discover how many friends were racist".
For me the solution to racism is simple,
It starts with having those uncomfortable sometimes painful conversations about racism, its roots and societal construct to divide US from each other.
" Until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another inferior,
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned;
Everywhere is war.
...Until the colour of a Man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war.
That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race
Is a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
world citizenship
Rule of international morality,
Will remain but a fleeting illusion,
To be pursued, but never attained.
Now everywhere is war, war..."
Extract from Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia's speech to League of Nations 1936.
And ' Bob Marley's- ' WAR' .
One Love 💜
Powerful bit of reporting looking behind the headlines. Nothing clever, just thoughtful and insightful. Thank you David.
Someone once told me to join the Republic of Liverpool Facebook group. I looked at it's page and someone had asked what would they do if they saw someone shoplifting. Dozens of replies. Some said they'd do nothing. Lots said they'd help them.