UK WHITE RIOT
Social workers frightened after disorder - union
Oli Constable
BBC News
August 12,2024
Dan Nelson/BBC
Unison said "lessons need to be learned, and quickly" after events in Harehills
Social workers felt "frightened" and "vulnerable" with a lack of support following disorder in Leeds last month, a union has said.
Disturbances broke out in Harehills on 18 July as police responded to reports of social workers experiencing hostility while dealing with a child protection issue.
Unison said staff faced "incredibly challenging jobs" in situations that were "often intimidating, threatening and potentially violent".
Leeds City Council said it would work with social workers "to identify learning and agreed actions arising from recent events".
Staff had been injured in incidents where they were "going into people's houses when they're at their most vulnerable", said Karen Loughlin, Unison's Yorkshire and Humberside regional secretary.
"They know they've got really important work to do but what they're saying is, 'I've got to be safe as well'."
Videos widely shared on social media showed people reacting angrily to the children being taken from a house by officers in July.
That night, a bus was set on fire and a police car was overturned during disorder in the streets.
Social workers often had to deal with gangs of people gathering around their vehicles or going into the property they were visiting in an attempt to intimidate, Unison said.
Low staffing levels meant workers were often on their own, the union added.
Tom Ingall/BBC
A large police operation took place during the disorder
The council had "failed to learn any lessons" with a new agency staff member being sent to make contact with the same family on her own, according to Unison.
“The council has at least said it is going to review the incident," Ms Loughlin said.
“But lessons need to be learned, and quickly. Leeds must look beyond this incident, and enhance the support it provides to social workers.”
The council said it took the health and safety of staff "extremely seriously".
A spokesperson said: “Managers and senior leaders have already met with individual social workers and visited area social work teams to listen and talk to them and ensure they have all the support that is necessary."
A large police operation took place during the disorder
The council had "failed to learn any lessons" with a new agency staff member being sent to make contact with the same family on her own, according to Unison.
“The council has at least said it is going to review the incident," Ms Loughlin said.
“But lessons need to be learned, and quickly. Leeds must look beyond this incident, and enhance the support it provides to social workers.”
The council said it took the health and safety of staff "extremely seriously".
A spokesperson said: “Managers and senior leaders have already met with individual social workers and visited area social work teams to listen and talk to them and ensure they have all the support that is necessary."
Pritti Mistry - BBC News
Mon, August 12, 2024
The Royal Station Hotel next to the railway station was targeted during the violence on 3 August [BBC]
Staff at Hull railway station have spoken of the terrifying moments rioters threw missiles at the building and tried to ram the doors.
Police officers were attacked, shops were looted and a neighbouring hotel housing asylum seekers was targeted during the violence on 3 August.
Matthew Cooper, from TransPennine Express, said: "It was extremely distressing the amount of projectiles that was actually thrown towards the windows."
The city's first three rioters were sentenced on Friday at Hull Crown Court, which heard the cancellation of services and eventual temporary closure of the station cost the rail operator £13,664.
Matthew Cooper said rioters hurled "absolutely anything they could get their hands on" [BBC]
Mr Cooper, a customer service supervisor based at the station, said he and four other staff members "had to physically keep one of the doors closed" to prevent rioters surging onto the concourse and platforms.
"They were trying to get through the door, trying to gain entry to open it all whilst throwing projectiles, breaking windows and breaking the locks to the doors."
He said rioters used "absolutely anything they could get their hands on - rocks and glass bottles" to hurl at the building.
Adam Shone, an area manager, described it as a "very frightening time for our team".
"Within about half an hour of my arrival at the station, the protest had become quite violent and there were missiles being thrown at the Royal Station Hotel.
"We did encounter missiles being thrown at the station and unfortunately did sustain a bit of damage to our station as well."
Adam Shone described it as "very frightening" [BBC]
Mr Cooper praised officers from British Transport Police (BTP) and Humberside Police for their efforts to keep civilians safe and described their work on the day as "absolutely phenomenal".
"They were able to contain the situation and prevent people getting into the station," said Mr Cooper, who previously worked for BTP.
Echoing his praise was transport secretary Louise Haigh during a visit to Hull on Monday.
"I'm here to express my enormous gratitude and admiration for their bravery and to thank them for their ongoing role in dealing with the tensions in the community here," she said.
"I'm a former special constable myself so I know a little bit of what they've been through and it's extraordinary, the bravery and the public service that they demonstrated on the front line."
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh praised police officers for "their bravery" [BBC]
How Tommy Robinson gave away he was hiding at luxury Cyprus hotel while stoking UK riots
Barney Davis
August 6, 2024·
“My kids are crying,” wrote Tommy Robinson from a luxury five-star holiday resort after photographs emerged revealing he had been hiding out in Cyprus.
“We come (sic) here so I could spend some quality time with them. Now they are scared people are coming here to get them.”
Scenes from Robinson’s hotel appear to match those from images of a luxury resort in Cyprus (X/TripAdvisor)
The anti-Islam activist has been accused of stoking far-right riots across the UK from outside the country while holed up in the £400-a-night Mediterranean hotel.
Tommy Robinson’s hotel room matches that of a high-end resort (Twitter/Trip Advisor)
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is thought to have left Britain last week ahead of a scheduled hearing in a contempt of court case. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The English Defence League founder claimed his family feared they were in danger after the location where he was hiding was revealed on Sunday.
But despite his protestations, it appears Robinson’s own social media activity may have provided clues to his whereabouts.
Promotional photographs of the resort appear to show a waterslide and gym seen in the background of posts he shared with his followers last week.
The decor of hotel room where he filmed an interview with far-right US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones also appears to match the shots.
Follow live coverage of UK riots here
During the conversation with Jones, Robinson asked viewers for donations and complained his location had been made public.
Tommy Robinson’s gym selfies helped may have helped locate him (X/Trip Advisor)
Asked what happens now, he replied: “I’ll be in jail, Alex, that’s what comes next.
“I think it will be the worst thing they can do. It will galvanise our support the people aren’t backing down.
“If people can’t see that. They’ve tried to crush [disorder] but the protests have got bigger and more violent.”
Politicians have demanded the recall of Parliament in the face of continuing anti-immigrant unrest (PA Wire)
He said he expects the number of people hitting the streets to double in size in the coming days adding: “There’s a revolution brewing in the United Kingdom. I’ve made video after video asking it to be peaceful, not violent.
“We are losing our country, we are losing our culture, we are losing our identity.”
Robinson has been publishing running commentary and videos documenting the riots, describing the disorder as a result of “legitimate concerns” and calling for “mass deportations”.
Damage at the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (Dave Higgens/PA Wire)
Campaigners have accused him of playing an important role in inciting violence directed at ethnic minority groups in the UK over the past week in the wake of the Southport stabbings, which left three young children dead.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Cardiff, is accused carrying out the attack, but false claims spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker of Muslim faith who had arrived in the UK by small boat in 2023.
Several of the demonstrations have targeted mosques. Hotels housing asylum seekers in Tamworth and Rotherham were also subject to violent disorder on Sunday.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convenor of Stand up to Racism told The Independent: “Tommy Robinson is deliberately stoking up racism and Islamophobia, whilst on the run. It’s no accident that the riots took place days after Robinson mobilised 15,000 in Trafalgar Square last week. Fascists are emboldened.”
Barney Davis
August 6, 2024·
“My kids are crying,” wrote Tommy Robinson from a luxury five-star holiday resort after photographs emerged revealing he had been hiding out in Cyprus.
“We come (sic) here so I could spend some quality time with them. Now they are scared people are coming here to get them.”
Scenes from Robinson’s hotel appear to match those from images of a luxury resort in Cyprus (X/TripAdvisor)
The anti-Islam activist has been accused of stoking far-right riots across the UK from outside the country while holed up in the £400-a-night Mediterranean hotel.
Tommy Robinson’s hotel room matches that of a high-end resort (Twitter/Trip Advisor)
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is thought to have left Britain last week ahead of a scheduled hearing in a contempt of court case. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The English Defence League founder claimed his family feared they were in danger after the location where he was hiding was revealed on Sunday.
But despite his protestations, it appears Robinson’s own social media activity may have provided clues to his whereabouts.
Promotional photographs of the resort appear to show a waterslide and gym seen in the background of posts he shared with his followers last week.
The decor of hotel room where he filmed an interview with far-right US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones also appears to match the shots.
Follow live coverage of UK riots here
During the conversation with Jones, Robinson asked viewers for donations and complained his location had been made public.
Tommy Robinson’s gym selfies helped may have helped locate him (X/Trip Advisor)
Asked what happens now, he replied: “I’ll be in jail, Alex, that’s what comes next.
“I think it will be the worst thing they can do. It will galvanise our support the people aren’t backing down.
“If people can’t see that. They’ve tried to crush [disorder] but the protests have got bigger and more violent.”
Politicians have demanded the recall of Parliament in the face of continuing anti-immigrant unrest (PA Wire)
He said he expects the number of people hitting the streets to double in size in the coming days adding: “There’s a revolution brewing in the United Kingdom. I’ve made video after video asking it to be peaceful, not violent.
“We are losing our country, we are losing our culture, we are losing our identity.”
Robinson has been publishing running commentary and videos documenting the riots, describing the disorder as a result of “legitimate concerns” and calling for “mass deportations”.
Damage at the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (Dave Higgens/PA Wire)
Campaigners have accused him of playing an important role in inciting violence directed at ethnic minority groups in the UK over the past week in the wake of the Southport stabbings, which left three young children dead.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, who was born in Cardiff, is accused carrying out the attack, but false claims spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker of Muslim faith who had arrived in the UK by small boat in 2023.
Several of the demonstrations have targeted mosques. Hotels housing asylum seekers in Tamworth and Rotherham were also subject to violent disorder on Sunday.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convenor of Stand up to Racism told The Independent: “Tommy Robinson is deliberately stoking up racism and Islamophobia, whilst on the run. It’s no accident that the riots took place days after Robinson mobilised 15,000 in Trafalgar Square last week. Fascists are emboldened.”
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