The United Kingdom has been rocked by racist riots for several days. The social and economic situation in the country is the cause of this behavior, according to an expert.
Did social media play a role in the riots that have been rocking the UK for several days?
As in Plymouth, where police officers were injured during clashes with rioters on Tuesday.
The circulation of false information about this case has certainly contributed to the scale of the movement. But these racist and xenophobic behaviors are linked to the social situation in the country.
“There are emerging feelings of nationalism, a sense that people are being left behind, that their freedoms are being trampled on, that the sovereignty of the nation is at stake. And all of this coincides with an increase in immigration and a cost of living crisis. So people have these direct experiences of grievance and a lot of these negative feelings are being projected onto ‘others’.”explains Stephanie Alice Baker, professor of sociology at City University in London.
A week after the knife attack that killed three girls, the ensuing clashes have spread across much of the country.
“That’s what we often see as we study crowd behavior. There’s always a tipping point, and it’s usually when they see other people doing the same thing.”continues the expert.
These clashes resulted in nearly 400 arrests in several cities.
After showing great firmness in recent days, Keir Starmer called a crisis meeting on Monday, with ministers and police representatives. The British Prime Minister’s priority: the “rapid” condemnation of the rioters.
