The Harehills riots and disorder which erupted after social services removed four children form a Roma family, sparked chaos in the area as well the unleashing of widespread anti-Muslim bigotry.
The children at the centre of the turmoil, were removed from a house in Harehills on Thursday 18th July to prevent them being taken abroad in breach of a court order.
The destructive chaos that ensued primarily involved the local Roma community, but also came with mass Islamophobic punches across social media, with Muslims once again at centre stage for a thorough public Islamophobic bashing.
Despite many politicians and social commentators in Britain having relatively little knowledge about the Roma communities, far-right Islamophobes Tommy Robinson and Paul Golding from Britain First falsely tarnished Muslims as the root of the rioting, and even accused Green Party councillor, Mothin Ali, of joining in.
“Let me introduce to the newly elected councillor for the area rioting tonight in Leeds,” said the extremist far right leader Tommy Robinson. “Multiple reports he’s even on the streets with them.”
Meanwhile, the situation worsened due to incendiary remarks from Nigel Farage, who attributed the riots to “mass migration from the Indian subcontinent.”
His comments were broadly criticised for inciting racial tensions and spreading misinformation. MP Alex Sobel denounced Farage, accusing him of aggravating the situation without understanding the facts and demanding an apology for his reckless statements.
Additionally, Tristan Tate wrongly blamed the Bangladeshi community for the violence, further inflaming racial tensions and perpetuating misinformation, thus contributing to a narrative that unfairly targeted specific ethnic groups.
Tommy Robinson, Paul Golding, Nigel Farage and others couldn’t be any more disassociated with the truth
Cllr Ali, and his team, had jeopardised their own safety by putting themselves in the midst of the rioting for some nine-hours, removing pallets and wheelie bins from rioters intending to set them alight.
“My thought was these kids could end up, if caught, with massive prison sentences, so I was trying to stop them and save them as well.
“And then there was considering the safety of local residents and their homes with children inside – to try and stop fires being lit next to homes.
“I didn’t see any Muslim youth partaking in the rioting,” Cllr Ali states.
“I was there from six o’clock, okay, all the way till three o’clock in the morning. I had a few Muslim youth that were helping me put the fires out. But I don’t remember seeing anyone, any Muslim kids throwing stones or anything like that.
“The video going round accusing me of ‘rioting’, shows me with my arms out, but if you continue playing the clip for a few more seconds, it’s clear I’m stopping people from joining in with the disorder.”
Heroes of Harehills
Cllr Ali adds: “On the night, a handful of young men appeared, from what seemed to be thin air, to stand by my side when I needed help.
“These young men ran around the neighbouring streets to gather water using buckets, bowls and wheelie bins in order to put the fires out.
“I want to send out heartfelt appreciation and recognition for their outstanding courage and bravery they showed up to protect people and protect the community.
“I want to thank everyone who worked well into the early hours of the morning to bring peace and calm to the situation. From the local businesspeople to my fellow councillors and community leaders, to the public service workers and everyone else who stepped in.
“It’s thanks to all their efforts that no one was seriously hurt.”
Talking about how Muslims in Britain can help change the toxic Islamophobic narratives, Cllr Ali says: “Islamophobia is a huge problem in this country.
“We need our leaders to step up.
“For example, on a micro scale, yesterday [23th July] we held a meeting at St Aidan’s Parish Church to discuss how we can better protect and serve our local community.
“This was a first in this area, and was a massive step in the right direction, because we had representation from English, Romanians, Bangladeshi and Pakistani locals and businesses exchanging dialogue for a common cause – keeping the local peace.
“We don’t want our communities being tarnished like they have been. We don’t want our area being wrecked.
“This is a working-class area, with people living side by side belonging to many different cultures, struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, lack of resources, crime, and health. We cannot give in to polarisation and must instead unify to work towards a better and prosperous future for us all. Let’s make that horrific night a moment for change, rather than one that further divides us.”
