Young girls drew chalk love harts; talked to their friends and stood staring at the images of their school friends.Three young girls had been brutally murdered.

7 year olds holding soft toys trying to come to terms with loss.

Southport Friday 2 August, 2024.

The Far Right marched on towns in the North of England.

Just three days after an attack on the Southport Mosque the Far Right began to gather outside the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool. It is Englands first mosque set up by an English convert upon returning from a visit to Morocco in 1887. It is an English Mosque set up by an English man.

Imam Adam Kelwick decided to cross the road to those gathering. He wanted to talk, ask why, answer questions and listen. He also brought food. The mosque had prepared Burgers and fries for all those outside, either side of the pavement. By the end of the night conversations were being had and handshakes were made and visit to the mosque arranged.

In Middlesborough it was a Race Riot.

Let’s be clear if you are shouting...

“Let’s get the Muslims "

“Let’s do Parly Road”

Then it’s a Race Riot and it’s Islamophobia.

Parly Road is Parliament Road in Middlesbrough where the residents are predominantly black or brown. The Far Right Riot was predominantly white. The Police were incredibly understaffed. I saw the same four riot vans and three dog vans attending virtually every incident City wide.

There were no counter demonstrators.

Parliament Road and the surrounding area was trashed. Windows in houses smashed, nearly every car wrecked , shops looted. Residents in Fear.

By the end of the night Local Parly Residents had to resort to defending the streets by themselves.

It all started with a very hollow minutes silence next to the City Cenotaph for three young children murdered in Southport, followed by chants of “we want our Country Back.”