This summer, riots broke out in British towns and cities from Aldershot to Southport. Mosques, homes, shops and cars were attacked. The library was looted. Drivers were stopped and questioned about their ethnicity, and police officers were assaulted. However, within days many rioters appeared in court and the violence suddenly stopped.
Josh Halliday appeared in court to hear why the mob, many of them children, had caused such havoc. he explains: Helen Pitt How the Guardian's data team tracked the court filings of 500 rioters to gather information that helps build a complete picture of those who terrorized communities.
He recalled how counter-protesters helped quell the violence, creating an “almost carnival-like atmosphere” in some areas. And he wonders what lessons the government and police might take away. Keir Starmer called the rioters “racist thugs”, but with unresolved underlying anger and conflict over immigration, such violence could return. I wonder if it is?
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
