As far-right riots sweep across the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed the profoundly personal toll on his family and called for urgent social media reform. Here’s the full story.
Riots Personal Impact
Following the past week of far-right protests, which have left communities reeling from mob violence and racially based attacks, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has spoken out regarding his fears as a Muslim politician in the UK and the impact the riots have had on his family.
Social Media’s Role
The unrest, sparked by misinformation which was inflamed by social media following the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport, has resulted in over 500 arrests and has led to serious questions being asked about the prevalence of anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK, both on and offline.
Khan’s Emotional Response
Khan, who has been a vocal critic of the far right during his time as a politician, spoke movingly in an interview with the Guardian about the profound impact the race riots and far-right hate on display had had on him. Khan stated, “What’s heartbreaking to me is my children’s generation had never experienced what I had, and they, for the first time, were scared. I thought I’d be the last generation to be scared, simply for who I am. And it breaks my heart.”
Historical Comparisons
Khan, who, as one of the most prominent Muslim politicians in the UK, has long been the target of racist abuse and death threats, added: “I’m somebody who grew up in the 1970s and 80s and experienced the National Front and the BNP and I thought that’s behind us.”
Safety Concerns
The interviewer asked Khan whether he felt safe as a Muslim politician in the UK. His stark response: “Clearly I’m not safe, which is why I’ve got police protection.”
Criticism of Social Media
Khan was also fiercely critical of social media, the medium through which much of the disinformation was allowed to spread before and during the riots. The far-right have used social media and messaging apps like X, formerly Twitter, and Telegram, the Russian-owned encrypted messaging app, to orchestrate their activities and spread the lies which became the fascists’ rallying cries.
False Claims Spread
Several sites on X falsely reported that the suspect in the Southport attacks, which acted as a catalyst for the violence, was an asylum seeker named Ali Al Shakati, who was allegedly on the MI6 watchlist. This was a lie. The suspected attacker was Axel Rudakubana, born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff, Wales. However, despite this, far-right influencers, grifters, and agitators like Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, amplified the post on social media.
Call for Law Review
Khan called for an urgent review of social media regulations, such as the Online Safety Act. The Act, which became law in October 2023, gives Ofcom powers to impose significant fines on social media companies which fail to remove illegal content. However, as these laws will not fully come into force until 2025, serious concerns have been raised that the law is, as Khan stated, “not fit for purpose.”
Algorithm Concerns
Khan stated, “The way the algorithms work, the way that misinformation can spread very quickly and disinformation … that’s a cause to be concerned, we’ve seen a direct consequence of this. I think what the government should do very quickly is check whether the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose. I think it’s not fit for purpose.”
Government Responses
In response to the far-right violence, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has stressed the importance of holding social media companies accountable for their role in the unrest. Similarly, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a thinly veiled rebuke to X, formerly Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has been amplifying far-right conspiracy theories and personally attacking Starmer on his platform, which has become a haven for far-right voices, warned that social media was not a “law-free zone.”
Continued Tensions
With the aftershocks from the riots continuing to be felt around the country, many, like Khan, have been left wondering how the situation could have deteriorated so rapidly in the UK. Despite thousands of anti-fascist protesters taking to the streets over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the Muslims and asylum seekers attacked in the preceding week, tensions remain high.
Praising Counter-Protesters
In response to the peaceful marches, Khan praised the counter-protesters who took to the streets, stating, “It was fantastic and a source of pride to me that you saw thousands of people coming together yesterday. Different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different religions, different faiths, showing unity and allyship to those of us who have been targeted.”
Warning Against Complacency
However, he warned not to become complacent in the face of far-right violence, warning that they would “carry on trying to divide our communities.”
Future Uncertainty
It remains to be seen whether Khan’s warning will be heeded or whether the forces of the far right will be allowed to continue to spread their virulent message of hate unabated, both on and offline, in the future.
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