‘This will end badly and will extend to other European countries.’
The violence that escalated in Britain this week was extensively reported across Europe. The European media reacted with shock and condemnation, with news outlets across the continent emphasing the far-right provocation behind the unrest.
In Spain, the term ‘Reino Unido’ (UK) has been trending online all week. Social media posts about the far-right riots have been widely circulated, accompanied by scathing and embarrassing newspaper headlines.
El Mundo, Spain’s second largest printed daily newspaper, featured the headline: “Tension grows in England after the third night of riots promoted by the extreme right against Islam.” The article details the arrests in Sunderland on the third night of violent riots, driven by the far-right campaign against Muslim communities, refugees, and immigration policy in general.” It features a post from Tommy Robinson promoting a march in Manchester with the chant: “Lefty scum off our streets.” The piece also quotes the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, which explains that the protests are being organised by people who are connected online to decentralised far-right networks.
Readers shared their thoughts on the article. One commented: “The images that are coming from London and other parts of the United Kingdom are terrifying,” adding: “This will end badly, and will extend to other European countries.”
Another article in El Mundo headlined: “Tommy Robinson, the fake news man fuelling UK riots,” describes the far-right activist as spreading all kinds of hoaxes on social media in his anti-immigration crusade.
France’s media echoed a similar narrative. The nation’s daily Le Monde newspaper described how violent far-right groups, formed online, having clashed with police. Le Figaro, a centre-right daily newspaper, noted a ‘whiff of civil war’ in the air.
France’s reaction to the UK riots was criticised by the Spectator, which seemed to suggest it was hypocritical. The right-wing UK publication framed its article on the French media being “well-versed in covering riots of their own, but the trouble on the other side of the Channel is unusual in that the troublemakers are regarded as far-right.”
Germany’s international broadcaster, DW, also expressed outrage, describing “far-right riots across the UK unsettle the Muslim community.” The article explains that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised stricter action and how misinformation surrounding the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport sparked far-right riots across the country.
At a press briefing in Berlin this week, Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Sebastian Fischer, didn’t mince his words, stating, “We strongly condemn the violent riots, the violent xenophobic riots that we have witnessed in Great Britain.”
The German news agency DPA reported that several countries have issued safety warnings to their citizens in the UK. Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia have all sent out alerts, advising their nationals living in or visiting Britain to stay away from demonstrations. According to the German media, a “travel alert” by the Nigerian Foreign Ministry stated that there is “an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK” noting that “the violence has assumed dangerous proportions.”
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