‘In Lancaster, the people have been lovely’: A UK city resists race riots
Al Jazeera
Far-right sympathisers planned to disrupt a sense of peace in the northern city, but were outnumbered by counterprotesters.
Lancaster, United Kingdom – The far right does not faze Sharon Mortlock.
As she drank her coffee and read her book, taking a break from her full-time role caring for her sick husband, dozens of agitators gathered in the picturesque picnic spot in Lancaster where she had chosen to have a break.
“This is my only outdoor space, this is like my garden,” she said. “I wasn’t moving for anybody.”
The agitators in the northern English city belonged to a growing far-right movement that has convulsed the nation. Riots have been erupting for a week against immigrants, Muslims and ethnic minorities.
They were sparked by disinformation on social media after a fatal stabbing attack in Southport, a coastal town about 40 miles from Lancaster, on July 29 during which three girls were killed. Many posts suggested the suspect was a Muslim and a migrant. He is neither.
