Love Music Hate Racism are planning a series of concerts around the UK over the next year to promote unity after the recent anti-immigration riots.
The anti-racism organisation has said the shows will start with a show by Paloma Faith in London in September, and will continue nationwide, focusing on the towns and cities that were affected by far-right-inspired violence over the last month.
Rioting was sparked on July 30 following the fatal stabbing of three children at a Taylor Swift-inspired dance class in Southport, Merseyside. Soon after the incident, misinformation appeared online, falsely claiming that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.
Shortly afterwards, huge groups including far-right and anti-immigration extremists took to the streets around the country to riot and cause violence and disorder. Numerous Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers were targeted, as were various shops and libraries which were burnt out and looted.
More than 130 police officers were injured during the period. Over 1000 people were arrested following the riots, with over half of them having been charged and more than 40 rioters have so far been jailed.
My message to the right wing idiots ruining our country pic.twitter.com/JN3CPohAQB
— Paloma Faith (@Palomafaith) August 5, 2024
Samira Ali, an organiser for Love Music Hate Racism, has spoken to The Guardian about their plans for the next 12 months. “We are doing the launch in London, which is home ground for us,” she said. “But we want to organise these gigs in the places the far right see as their territory because we want to show they are in a tiny, hateful minority.”
The first gig will be headlined by Faith, who wrote passionately about the “right-wing idiots” who were rioting at the time. “As the mother of two half-Muslim North African children and as a born and raised resident and proud member of the Hackney community. I stand vehemently against racism of any kind,” she said.
“The far-right mobilisations have been huge … the biggest we’ve seen for decades,” Ali continued. “But the context is even more dangerous than when Rock Against Racism was launched in the 1970s. Then, we faced the National Front but didn’t have Reform in parliament. We didn’t have fascism on the rise through Europe in the same way and Donald Trump running for the presidency in the US.”
Earlier this week, Love Music Hate Racism issued a statement condemning the riots, which was signed by artists including Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Nova Twins, Nadine Shah, Frank Turner, Nubya Garcia, Enter Shikari, Asian Dub Foundation and Alabaster Deplume.
As well as roundly criticising those who took to the streets, the letter also warns that the violence did not occur in a vacuum and that “politicians and the media” have to take their share of responsibility.
“The violence has been fueled by far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, willfully spreading false information by blaming a Muslim migrant for the Southport attack,” the letter read.
“The rhetoric of ‘Stop the Boats’, the demonising of asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation and the labelling of Muslim communities as ‘extremists’ have all played a role in normalising the hateful ideas of the far-right.
“Yet where there is racism, there is always resistance to it. A reported 25,000 people joined antifascist protests on 7 August in opposition to the far-right threatening to target immigration advice centres and solicitors across the country. At least 8,000 were on the streets in Walthamstow in London, 7,000 in Bristol and 2,000 in Brighton.
“Love Music Hate Racism believes more resistance is needed and that artists have a key role to play in bringing communities together in the current climate,” it continued. “Love Music Hate Racism was founded in 2002 in response to the growth of the Nazi British National Party (BNP). The campaign worked with hundreds of musicians who used their platforms to successfully challenge the fascist threat of the BNP following the proud tradition of Rock Against Racism. Music has the power to spread hope and unite communities against the hatred and division bred by the far-right.
“It is now more important than ever that music is at the heart of a united cultural movement which will ward off the threat of the far-right and strengthen communities damaged by the corrosive effects of racism.
“Music reflects the beautiful eclectic mix of our communities. Join us in building a movement that celebrates that: Love Music Hate Racism”.
Following the riots, thousands of anti-racism protesters rallied nationwide to share a counter message of acceptance and support for those victimised. Artists including Billy Bragg, Nadine Shah, Garbage, Self Esteem, Tim Burgess and Chvrches expressed solidarity with the counter-protests.