“People are too scared to stay and eat”

Looted shops have been repaired and restocked, fires put out and glass swept away. But for communities terrified by the unrest, the return to normality is taking much longer. BBC News visits Hull, one of the many cities affected.

Francis Ahiakpa stands in the cramped kitchen of the Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA), an organization that has been supporting migrant communities for nearly twenty years.

In front of him are dozens of Styrofoam containers where stacks of plates should be.

“We hold a breakfast table once a week,” explains Mr. Ahiakpa, the organization’s chairman. “It’s not just about giving people food; it’s also an opportunity to come together and talk.”

“But people were too afraid to stay and eat with us because they thought someone might come in and attack them. So we gave out the food in take-out containers.”

“We even delivered to people’s homes.”

Almost two weeks after the riots of August 3, when Shops were looted and police attacked with bricks and fireworksthere are few physical reminders of the problem.

But the fears remain.

“The fear is still very high,” says Mr Ahiakpa. “People still say to me: ‘I’m not sure if I can come to your office. Can you please bring me another food parcel?’ That’s how great the fear is.”

It is not the Hull that Mr Ahiakpa – who came to the UK from Ghana in 2002 to study for a master’s degree in business administration – knows and loves; it is the home of William Wilberforce, the MP who played a crucial role in the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807.

“This level of hatred,” he says, shaking his head. “I never thought I would see this here, in 2024. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have seen this coming. I was surprised, shocked and sad.”

Angela Murden of the Hull African Caribbean Association said the unrest had had “a ripple effect”.

Her organization also runs a food bank, and last week they only distributed 12 food parcels, whereas they usually distribute between 30 and 40.

“People are staying away,” she says.

Unlike Mr. Ahiakpa, she saw the uprising coming. “It’s the misinformation. The social media. The rumors.”

“Look at the ease with which they rioted. They had no respect for people or property.”

According to Humberside Police, 29 people have been charged and more than 60 arrests have been made in connection with the riots. Some of the rioters have already been arrested.

Ms Murden says she welcomes the prison sentences but believes they alone are not enough to prevent another incident.

“There is an urgent need for education, that is a big problem,” she adds.

Syed Shah of Humber Community Advice Services, which provides information and advocacy for people from ethnic minority communities, takes a holistic perspective on those responsible.

He refuses to call the rioters “bad people.”

“Things are never black and white,” says Mr Shah, who moved to Britain from Afghanistan with his wife and two children in 2022. “You can’t categorize everyone as good or bad.”

It’s clear who Shah blames for the unrest. “People who are misinformed and fed false information are doing things they wouldn’t normally do,” he says.

“If you keep saying that foreigners are coming here and taking jobs, some will believe it. It had to happen. Not everyone who took part in the riots will be bad people. Many will come from good families.”

“Setting fire to shops and stealing things is not normal behaviour. People will have been dragged into it.”

Restaurant owner Lena Sutherland has lived in Hull since 1996 after moving to the UK from her native Ukraine.

During the unrest and fearing for the safety of her employees and customers, she made the decision to close her business, Lena’s Ukrainian Kitchen, for two days.

“Everyone was so scared,” she says. “People are still not doing very well.”

“The pressure on foreigners is greater today, but people need to understand that most foreigners work. In Ukraine, you are brought up to work. Nobody wanted to get by on Universal Credit alone. There are enough jobs for everyone who wants to work.”

Ms Sutherland believes the rioters were “looking for an opportunity to let off steam”. She describes them as “bandits”.

Back at HANA, Mr Ahiakpa believes a “cultural conversation” is needed and vows to organize more visits to schools and colleges.

“Every time we go to schools, we meet children who are incredibly curious about other cultures,” he says.

“The key to preventing future unrest is talking. We need to have honest conversations about race in our communities – and that has to start in our schools.”

Mr Ahiakpa believes the rioters need to keep the “bigger picture” in mind.

“A large portion of the staff in our hospitals are migrant workers,” he says. “Would they be willing to wait longer for a white doctor or nurse?

“Would you refuse to board a plane on vacation if you found out the pilot was black?”

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