Alarms Abroad: What UK rightwing riots mean for the U.S.
Riots have plagued the streets of the Untied Kingdom since July 30. The U.S. is no stranger to rightwing-inspired violence, either.
SOUTHPORT, Eng. – The United Kingdom has seen days of violent, rightwing riots plaguing streets. In response, thousands of anti-fascist and anti-racist counter protesters have begun demonstrating. It’s the largest example of civil unrest in the nation since 2011. Why is this happening, and what does it mean for America?

On July 29, 2024, in the seaside town of Southport, England, eleven children and two adults were stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop. Three children–Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9–were killed in the mass stabbing.

In the hours after the attack, social media posts, shared by rightwing agitators, claimed the suspect was a “Muslim” who had recently arrived in the country as an asylum seeker or undocumented immigrant. This disinformation spawned nights of violent clashes between far-right, anti-migrant rioters and police. Mosques, hotels, shopping centers, and police stations have been targeted. At least seven hundred individuals have been arrested since July 30.
Police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old born in Cardiff, Wales, to Rwandan parents. A judge later ordered the suspect’s name be unsealed despite UK law protecting the identity of minors charged with crimes.
Still, rightwing actors in the United Kingdom, like MP and Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, continued to spread disinformation about the attack. The lies were spread by international actors, too, like Twitter-owner Elon Musk, fanning the flames of the riots.
This is not a uniquely British issue, though.

On January 6, 2021, far-right fueled lies led to a riot in the United States’ capital where thousands came to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. And, in recent years, rightwing actors like Donald Trump, Jr., Chaya Raichik, operator of Libs of Tik Tok, and others have tried to link mass shootings, including the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, to transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community.
Right-wing groups pose the largest risk of terrorism and domestic violent extremism in the United States, per the National Institute of Justice. Other than the January 6 riot, these ideologies have also spawned mass killings in Orlando, Fla., Buffalo, N.Y., Pittsburgh, Pa., and El Paso, Texas, among others.
Over the last decade, social media has become an integral part of our society. And, throughout that time, it has proved a useful tool to dangerous extremists in creating division and fueling violence. As AI-generated content becomes more indiscernible from reality, it’s likely this trend will continue. The question now is whether or not we act.
Our nation is once again entering a contentious election season. Rightwing actors have shown a propensity for using lies to create violence. Further, these agitators have a proven track record of using marginalized groups as scapegoats to their perceived problems. If these white supremacist, nationalist, neo-nazi, and other far-right groups are allowed to continue spreading disinformation to further their cause, it’s only a matter of time before the UK riots occur in the U.S.