‘Framing is important’: Humza Yousaf hits back during BBC interview on riots

HUMZA Yousaf challenged a BBC News presenter who said his description of unrest in England as “far-right race riots” risked “tarring everyone with the same brush”.

On Sunday evening the former first minister was invited onto BBC News to give his reaction to the riots which have erupted in England over the weekend.

“Let call it what it is,” he said.

“These aren’t protests, these aren’t demonstrations, these are far-right race riots.

“These are pogroms against Muslims and against people of colour.

“And, look, I would challenge anybody including the BBC – a channel that I have a lot of respect for – in terms of the framing of what we’re seeing.”

The presenter, Luxmy Gopal, then interrupted Yousaf to say “that was part of the problem”.

She said: “There are a lot of people who have been saying that they want to be able to express their opposition to immigration, even in the form of protest.

“And while they do not want to have anything to do with the violence we’re seeing, they feel that it’s only fair that they should be able to express those views in lawful protest and by tarring everyone with the same brush you’re simply fuelling the problem.”

Yousaf hit back to point out that the issue of lawful protest was not what was being discussed.

“No, that’s not what you’re talking about,” he said.

A wheelie bin thrown at police officers during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

“You’ve not had me on this programme or Andy MacDonald on this programme or any of your other contributors to talk about peaceful protest.

“What you’re asking me about is violence that we’ve seen, a hotel in Rotherham almost set alight.

“It’s the Nazi salutes we’ve seen on the streets, it’s the attacking of mosques, it’s the battering and beating of black, Asian and Muslim people.

“The framing and language is exceptionally important.”

Earlier in the day Yousaf asked the Prime Minister Keir Starmer over X/Twitter how much the violence would have to escalate before the army were drafted in.

Starmer later made a televised address promising that those who took part in the riots would “regret” their actions and face the full force of the law.