Because of the city’s close ties with the UK, the unrest in Hong Kong will have a strong impact. While the context is different, there are some notable parallels to the Hong Kong unrest in 2019.
Today, Britain faces widespread threats to law and order and recognises that violence, for whatever reason, cannot be tolerated.
The rioters have targeted immigrants, especially Muslims. Mosques, immigration centers and hotels housing asylum seekers have been attacked.
The background to this development is the growing popularity of the extreme right in Europe in the face of social and economic problems that are allegedly due to excessive immigration.
Fortunately, there is only a minority in Britain who support the riots. And people in the neighbourhoods came together to clean up after the riots, to send the message that they are not represented by the rioters.
The country must prepare for another night of violence on Wednesday. Attacks on law firms that advise migrants are expected. The Hong Kong Bar Association rightly condemned the threats against immigration lawyers and pointed out that this was a violation of the rule of law.
But instead, thousands of counter-protesters against racism gathered at the expected hotspots and there were no riots. That is encouraging.
However, there are fears that violence could break out again this weekend.
Immigrant communities, whether Muslim or not, should be concerned. The Chinese embassy in London has issued a security alert, as have the authorities in Hong Kong.
There is a need for people in the UK to monitor developments and exercise caution.
Social media has played a key role in both sparking and organizing the unrest, which was triggered by the spread of false information claiming that the killer of three little girls in a knife attack last month was a recent Muslim immigrant.
The dangerous role of social media platforms in spreading hatred and promoting unrest, often through false and misleading information, is a problem that requires global attention.
Violent unrest, whatever the reason, is not the right way to achieve political goals. It is to be hoped that the actions of the British government and the support of the majority of the country’s population will restore order and revive values such as respect and tolerance.
