There is also a carnivalesque quality to a riot, where the usual everyday rules and prohibitions are suspended. Who doesn’t want to throw a brick through a window?
I have been watching the civil unrest over the past few days as it has played out. I have been avoiding as much of the commentary as I can and have instead been looking at the abundant footage, which I think is the best way of crystallising an informed opinion.
Some of what has occurred has been appalling, made worse by its apparent foundation on a bedrock of prejudice that is ironically extraordinarily diverse in its expression. Those who have carried out these acts of violence are well deserving of any prison time they are allotted.
I have also witnessed very uneven policing that has turned a blind eye to violence in particular cases. I cannot deny that I have seen this, no matter how much the ruling Party of Airstrip One might want me to.
I hold an opinion that, up until quite recently, was regarded as sensible: That if someone has committed an act of violence, their race, their creed, their religion, and so on, should not be deciding factors in whether they are arrested and put on trial. I formed this opinion when I was a young boy during the 1980s, when I began to get a sense that black people were more likely to be arrested and punished more harshly for committing the same crime as white people.
I have to couch this very carefully because people are starting to go to jail for having the wrong opinion.
I have come to believe that these riots are a sideshow. There are tiers of bullies. Those who rage against each other in the streets would serve themselves and their communities better by standing shoulder to shoulder against the burgeoning authoritarianism of the State that has become more disquieting in recent days.
When the faces currently cycling through our juiced-up legal system belong to unsympathetic characters there is the temptation to engage in a little schadenfreude, though some take it too far. Labour Councillor Ricky Jones calling, at a street rally, for throats to be cut, while a lady standing in the background, wearing a day-glo Amnesty International safety vest politely applauds this call for mass murder, is an image that I will not soon forget.
There are some who will laugh at the young man who was bitten on the bottom by a police dog and who will spend the next two years nursing his injury in prison. As the crimes become more innocuous and the punishments more disproportionate some uneasiness might begin to creep into that laughter.
I read today in The Telegraph, about an 18 year old who was denied bail simply for being an onlooker at demonstration that he left when it became violent. He didn't hurl racial abuse. He didn't engage in violence. He was just there.
It begs the question, how far away one needs to be from a riot to avoid arrest. Is line of sight enough for a conviction? What if I am watching from a distance through binoculars? Is staring in the direction of smoke rising from an urban centre enough to make my complicit?
It is again my opinion that we are living in the early lines of a variation of 'First They Came' by Pastor Martin Niemöller.
An authoritarian state is relentless in its search for new transgressors. The hand that is used to silence your enemy today will be the same hand that will eventually be held over your mouth.
I can only say what I will do. I will always stand against violence no matter who the perpetrators might be and I will not turn my head away from inconvenient truths.
Thank you, Hanif, for your commentary on the appalling riots…witnessed from afar, Australia, but felt in my heart as an English person. I’ve always believed that bullying is a desperate grab of illusionary power, from those who fear powerlessness, or who have it and fear losing it. Who bullies immigrants, anybody? Those who fear (wrongly, as you point out) that others might take their jobs, their women, their men, their livelihoods, their status quo. Anyone who finds someone to look down on - if they feel the need to have someone to look down on, or if they feel insecure enough of and fear losing their status quo. Historically, recent immigrants have been bullied by less recent immigrants, who have…been bullied by whites. Jeez, what happened to 60s idealism and radicalism? I’m a psychologist, I don’t believe in innate evil, so we have to be learning this from our families or our culture. How do we stay hopeful? Hanif, your journey through the pain of what’s happened to you inspires me. I just want to feel as hopeful as we did in the 60s and 70s. You’re a bit younger than me, but you must remember. Love, hope. X
Illuminating Hanif!Elon Musk is a classic bully is he not? Waving his wad and abusing that poor guy who went to help this Thai kids. Thought provoking stuff baby!
“The white working class have good reason to riot, except that their aggression is facing in the wrong direction.“
Semantics have been under the spotlight once more - are the far right protesting, rioting, bullying or terrorising? Are the communities who stood together against these ‘demonstrations’ protesting, rioting, bullying or terrorising? Of course I’m being facetious but you get the idea. I guess it depends on which newspapers you read and/or whose socials you follow/swallow. However, I see protests as non-aggressive while riots are aggressive and so belong with the right wing aggressors surely? It does seem bonkers to suggest the women’s holding the ‘Nans against Nazis’ placard could be a rioter or an aggressor. Our right wing press hold the most inflammatory ammo and their thesauruses can lead a readership in whichever direction they choose. Sadly it’s usually away from the government; those with the most blood on their hands.
Spot on as you say. Watching the Olympics I have noted that the physique of the USA runners are very noticeable to those of other countries runners. It seems to be a new male body norm to be built like an armored cyborg, that this new physique is generated by a culture that needs to have an ideal that is intimidating, ready for battle........Even the women exhibit some of this hyper emphasis of muscles. Personally by now I am pretty burned out by the over the top hype of Olympic glory.....I am glad it will be over soon. How much excellence can we handle as a species!
Beautiful analysis of bullying. I often think of domestic violence among the Indian immigrants, for example here in the USA. When a woman complains of being verbally and physically abused by her husband, I wonder what instinct rules here. Is it the man’s own vulnerability, insecurity, and urge to dominate the weak and vulnerable wife? What is it? Would love to hear from the readers too.
It's been wrenching to read about the riots- as well as to wonder at the motivation for the hideous triggering event. Your analysis of this is inspired- there is so much to discover between humans- what keeps us back from going in the direction of discovery, and reacting instead with the easiest method- throwing a brick, hating, bonding with those we think are like us against those we've pegged as the problem? Well, that's the answer: easiest. More connected with our viscera. Our memories, our thoughts, our situations. The effort that it takes, that peace always takes, to correct the direction, to get off the train of reactions, is so great. It's a great thing when someone realizes early in life that there are other directions to take- to write, to communicate, to bond, to create. And so difficult to give hope to the hopeless, options to the angry, an ear to the shouting. They are not shouting about nothing- they are shouting from broken hearts.
Old age is the ultimate opportunity to cope with the bullying of of our peers, some demented and otherwise mentally affected, and thre younger set. We scare the young because we represent Reality, proof that despite proper diet, exercise, Yada, Yada, we still ALL grow older and DIE. No escape, no exceptions.
Thanks so much for this. The hard right rioters have nothing to loose As they have a grim future- so must look for something to kick not knowing how even they got there. In the first place. Only mask up and work in gangs-classic bully. what is an Englishman anyway we are all a mix of immigrants.
Excellent correlation between bullying and the riots! l. A cowardly lynch mob whipped up by cynical manipulators. Are the current commentators worse than Enoch Powel? I think the answer is yes. Much more dangerous than the outright fascist Tommy Robinson is the leadership of soi-disant ‘Reform’ party made up of rich individuals from privileged backgrounds pretending to be honest sons of toil: Blut und Boden, Blood and Soil!
What they deliberately fail to explain to their under privileged followers that, when they shout, ‘we want our country back’, it was never their country to begin with; they were only at best, paying guests, tolerated as factory or cannon fodder to be discarded when no longer needed. The country belongs to the David Camerons and their families who will always do what is best to preserve their country and govern accordingly, which scarily, these days, includes making alliances with the crypto fascists, according to pronouncements of some of the Tory leadership candidates. If the Labour government fails to produce meaningful change a merging of the rump Tories with Reform is all too possible. I used to joke that I collected lots of credit cards so that I could go to airport and buy a ticket if I had to get out in a hurry: I’m not laughing so much now!
“It was one of the greatest errors in evaluating dictatorship to say that the dictator forces himself on society against its own will. In reality, every dictator in history was nothing but the accentuation of already existing state ideas which he had only to exaggerate in order to gain power”
― Wilhelm Reich, The Mass Psychology of Fascism
Wilhelm Reich established that there is far more neurosis and mental problems in poor communities than the middle classes. Poverty literally drives one mad! Sadly, many the shouters of racist slogans and chuckers of bricks, apart from the dedicated violent bullies, would probably be good open minded citizens if they hadn’t been treated so appallingly in the last 50 years. Ever since Thatcher they’ve been deskilled, denied any hope or future but sold this nostalgia for a phony, ‘Our Finest Hour’; so seductive! They’re the children and grandchildren of the heroes who won the war and they’ve seen all the benefits of the post war period snatched away. No wonder they’re angry! A shame their anger is so misdirected. If the parties of the left hadn’t disintegrated this would actually be a revolutionary moment. A pity we have no revolutionary tradition as in France where, when they riot, streets are barricaded, towns are blocked with tractors and the ruling class do take some notice. Maybe something will change here? It used to be said that nothing would be done until the mob smashed the club windows in Pall Mall. Maybe TV is like a window now?
Every generation of immigrants has always faced opposition from the natives, starting with the Vikings and Normans,(who were bad news!), to Huguenots, Jews, Italians, Irish to Windrush in the 50’s et al, but strangely with all the politicians constantly harping on immigration as a problem, the UK, or London at least, is one of the most successful multi ethnic societies in the world where immigrants have always assimilated so there is hope.
Fabulous writing. The connections that you make across all of the different spheres of life: sex, school, parenting, so wonderfully articulated.
I have been watching the civil unrest over the past few days as it has played out. I have been avoiding as much of the commentary as I can and have instead been looking at the abundant footage, which I think is the best way of crystallising an informed opinion.
Some of what has occurred has been appalling, made worse by its apparent foundation on a bedrock of prejudice that is ironically extraordinarily diverse in its expression. Those who have carried out these acts of violence are well deserving of any prison time they are allotted.
I have also witnessed very uneven policing that has turned a blind eye to violence in particular cases. I cannot deny that I have seen this, no matter how much the ruling Party of Airstrip One might want me to.
I hold an opinion that, up until quite recently, was regarded as sensible: That if someone has committed an act of violence, their race, their creed, their religion, and so on, should not be deciding factors in whether they are arrested and put on trial. I formed this opinion when I was a young boy during the 1980s, when I began to get a sense that black people were more likely to be arrested and punished more harshly for committing the same crime as white people.
I have to couch this very carefully because people are starting to go to jail for having the wrong opinion.
I have come to believe that these riots are a sideshow. There are tiers of bullies. Those who rage against each other in the streets would serve themselves and their communities better by standing shoulder to shoulder against the burgeoning authoritarianism of the State that has become more disquieting in recent days.
When the faces currently cycling through our juiced-up legal system belong to unsympathetic characters there is the temptation to engage in a little schadenfreude, though some take it too far. Labour Councillor Ricky Jones calling, at a street rally, for throats to be cut, while a lady standing in the background, wearing a day-glo Amnesty International safety vest politely applauds this call for mass murder, is an image that I will not soon forget.
There are some who will laugh at the young man who was bitten on the bottom by a police dog and who will spend the next two years nursing his injury in prison. As the crimes become more innocuous and the punishments more disproportionate some uneasiness might begin to creep into that laughter.
I read today in The Telegraph, about an 18 year old who was denied bail simply for being an onlooker at demonstration that he left when it became violent. He didn't hurl racial abuse. He didn't engage in violence. He was just there.
It begs the question, how far away one needs to be from a riot to avoid arrest. Is line of sight enough for a conviction? What if I am watching from a distance through binoculars? Is staring in the direction of smoke rising from an urban centre enough to make my complicit?
It is again my opinion that we are living in the early lines of a variation of 'First They Came' by Pastor Martin Niemöller.
An authoritarian state is relentless in its search for new transgressors. The hand that is used to silence your enemy today will be the same hand that will eventually be held over your mouth.
I can only say what I will do. I will always stand against violence no matter who the perpetrators might be and I will not turn my head away from inconvenient truths.
Thank you, Hanif, for your commentary on the appalling riots…witnessed from afar, Australia, but felt in my heart as an English person. I’ve always believed that bullying is a desperate grab of illusionary power, from those who fear powerlessness, or who have it and fear losing it. Who bullies immigrants, anybody? Those who fear (wrongly, as you point out) that others might take their jobs, their women, their men, their livelihoods, their status quo. Anyone who finds someone to look down on - if they feel the need to have someone to look down on, or if they feel insecure enough of and fear losing their status quo. Historically, recent immigrants have been bullied by less recent immigrants, who have…been bullied by whites. Jeez, what happened to 60s idealism and radicalism? I’m a psychologist, I don’t believe in innate evil, so we have to be learning this from our families or our culture. How do we stay hopeful? Hanif, your journey through the pain of what’s happened to you inspires me. I just want to feel as hopeful as we did in the 60s and 70s. You’re a bit younger than me, but you must remember. Love, hope. X
Illuminating Hanif!Elon Musk is a classic bully is he not? Waving his wad and abusing that poor guy who went to help this Thai kids. Thought provoking stuff baby!
“The white working class have good reason to riot, except that their aggression is facing in the wrong direction.“
Semantics have been under the spotlight once more - are the far right protesting, rioting, bullying or terrorising? Are the communities who stood together against these ‘demonstrations’ protesting, rioting, bullying or terrorising? Of course I’m being facetious but you get the idea. I guess it depends on which newspapers you read and/or whose socials you follow/swallow. However, I see protests as non-aggressive while riots are aggressive and so belong with the right wing aggressors surely? It does seem bonkers to suggest the women’s holding the ‘Nans against Nazis’ placard could be a rioter or an aggressor. Our right wing press hold the most inflammatory ammo and their thesauruses can lead a readership in whichever direction they choose. Sadly it’s usually away from the government; those with the most blood on their hands.
Powerful article, Hanif - thankyou.
Much love and peace,
Kate x
Spot on as you say. Watching the Olympics I have noted that the physique of the USA runners are very noticeable to those of other countries runners. It seems to be a new male body norm to be built like an armored cyborg, that this new physique is generated by a culture that needs to have an ideal that is intimidating, ready for battle........Even the women exhibit some of this hyper emphasis of muscles. Personally by now I am pretty burned out by the over the top hype of Olympic glory.....I am glad it will be over soon. How much excellence can we handle as a species!
Beautiful analysis of bullying. I often think of domestic violence among the Indian immigrants, for example here in the USA. When a woman complains of being verbally and physically abused by her husband, I wonder what instinct rules here. Is it the man’s own vulnerability, insecurity, and urge to dominate the weak and vulnerable wife? What is it? Would love to hear from the readers too.
Thanks for your beautiful clarity on many matters.
Thank you brilliant insight into childhood trauma, I nearly cried reading this it has explained so much!
And the comments on the riots they have explained to me what I could not understand …why do they happen, what are the reasons behind this ?
Fabulous writing and analysis
It's been wrenching to read about the riots- as well as to wonder at the motivation for the hideous triggering event. Your analysis of this is inspired- there is so much to discover between humans- what keeps us back from going in the direction of discovery, and reacting instead with the easiest method- throwing a brick, hating, bonding with those we think are like us against those we've pegged as the problem? Well, that's the answer: easiest. More connected with our viscera. Our memories, our thoughts, our situations. The effort that it takes, that peace always takes, to correct the direction, to get off the train of reactions, is so great. It's a great thing when someone realizes early in life that there are other directions to take- to write, to communicate, to bond, to create. And so difficult to give hope to the hopeless, options to the angry, an ear to the shouting. They are not shouting about nothing- they are shouting from broken hearts.
This is the only account of the violence I have read so far that attempts to understand the rioters. I respect the insights and admire the compassion
Old age is the ultimate opportunity to cope with the bullying of of our peers, some demented and otherwise mentally affected, and thre younger set. We scare the young because we represent Reality, proof that despite proper diet, exercise, Yada, Yada, we still ALL grow older and DIE. No escape, no exceptions.
Thanks so much for this. The hard right rioters have nothing to loose As they have a grim future- so must look for something to kick not knowing how even they got there. In the first place. Only mask up and work in gangs-classic bully. what is an Englishman anyway we are all a mix of immigrants.
Very penetrating, right to the core of this stuff.
I was having similar thoughts about the rioters the other day.
Dear Hanif,
Excellent correlation between bullying and the riots! l. A cowardly lynch mob whipped up by cynical manipulators. Are the current commentators worse than Enoch Powel? I think the answer is yes. Much more dangerous than the outright fascist Tommy Robinson is the leadership of soi-disant ‘Reform’ party made up of rich individuals from privileged backgrounds pretending to be honest sons of toil: Blut und Boden, Blood and Soil!
What they deliberately fail to explain to their under privileged followers that, when they shout, ‘we want our country back’, it was never their country to begin with; they were only at best, paying guests, tolerated as factory or cannon fodder to be discarded when no longer needed. The country belongs to the David Camerons and their families who will always do what is best to preserve their country and govern accordingly, which scarily, these days, includes making alliances with the crypto fascists, according to pronouncements of some of the Tory leadership candidates. If the Labour government fails to produce meaningful change a merging of the rump Tories with Reform is all too possible. I used to joke that I collected lots of credit cards so that I could go to airport and buy a ticket if I had to get out in a hurry: I’m not laughing so much now!
“It was one of the greatest errors in evaluating dictatorship to say that the dictator forces himself on society against its own will. In reality, every dictator in history was nothing but the accentuation of already existing state ideas which he had only to exaggerate in order to gain power”
― Wilhelm Reich, The Mass Psychology of Fascism
Wilhelm Reich established that there is far more neurosis and mental problems in poor communities than the middle classes. Poverty literally drives one mad! Sadly, many the shouters of racist slogans and chuckers of bricks, apart from the dedicated violent bullies, would probably be good open minded citizens if they hadn’t been treated so appallingly in the last 50 years. Ever since Thatcher they’ve been deskilled, denied any hope or future but sold this nostalgia for a phony, ‘Our Finest Hour’; so seductive! They’re the children and grandchildren of the heroes who won the war and they’ve seen all the benefits of the post war period snatched away. No wonder they’re angry! A shame their anger is so misdirected. If the parties of the left hadn’t disintegrated this would actually be a revolutionary moment. A pity we have no revolutionary tradition as in France where, when they riot, streets are barricaded, towns are blocked with tractors and the ruling class do take some notice. Maybe something will change here? It used to be said that nothing would be done until the mob smashed the club windows in Pall Mall. Maybe TV is like a window now?
Every generation of immigrants has always faced opposition from the natives, starting with the Vikings and Normans,(who were bad news!), to Huguenots, Jews, Italians, Irish to Windrush in the 50’s et al, but strangely with all the politicians constantly harping on immigration as a problem, the UK, or London at least, is one of the most successful multi ethnic societies in the world where immigrants have always assimilated so there is hope.