After a week-long assault of far-right riots in over 20 cities and towns across the UK, which saw Muslims and Black and brown people targeted by far-right aggressors, and asylum seeker accommodation set alight with people inside, yesterday Britain woke up to the looming threat of further riots and xenophobic attacks on more than 100 locations.
As I read WhatsApp messages from friends and family members—some nervous to leave their homes, others sharing solidarity and sentiments about not giving in to fear—I was struck by my own reaction. Of course, I felt horror and anxiety, but there was also a depressing absence of surprise.
