Sunderland and Middlesbro reflect on riots at one year

A year ago, riots – misinformed information and anti -immigration hatred broke after killing three girls in Southport. One area affected was in the north-east of England, where the police have since recorded a significant increase in racial and religious hatred crimes.

With CCTV cameras and heavy -weight steel doors, Masjid e Anwar e Madina Mosque in Sunderland has changed a lot in the last 12 months.

“It should not feel like a gel,” says Zaf Iqbal, the treasurer of the mosque, which also has beyond its windows.

But he first knows why additional security is required.

He was one of the four people closed inside the building when a violent mob tried to attack in the last summer.

“It was painful,” he says. “You don’t expect to attack your home city due to your skin color.”

In August 2024, a riot broke out after killing three young girls in a dance class at Southport.

It was wrongly claimed on social media that the killer had reached Britain in 2023 on a dingi. Others posted that he was a Muslim, and a fake name also aired.

As a result, the Southport Mosque was attacked in one night of excessive violence before the Islamic communities were targeted elsewhere.

Mr. Iqbal says, “Why no one was rioting in other cities away from Southport, it surprises me.”

One year, “The Tension in the Community” has survived some in the constant fear of repetition of disorder, they say.

“My home city of Sunderland. If I can’t feel safe in my home city, where am I to feel safe?” He asks, visually disturbed, before breaking into tears.

“I was born in this city and grew up, I work in this city, I work in the community in this city, and yet many times it does not feel like home, which is sad.

“With the political scenario in minutes, I think things are going to deteriorate.”

In recent weeks, Essex, Essex has a series of protests outside a hotel being used outside a hotel for shelter seekers. It is accused of sexual harassment of a person living there, which he refuses.

Police has so far charged 12 people separately in connection With disorder related to protests There.

The freedom of information data received by the BBC revealed that there were 2,757 races and religious hatred crimes recorded by police forces between 1 August 2024 and 31 January 2025 by police forces in the North East – six months after Southport killings.

This shows that the report in the region has increased by 34% compared to the period of six months the previous year. The national growth between the same two -time period was less than 1%.

Police forces of the region recorded 361 racial or religious increased attacks in six months after the Southport attacks, increasing by 22% when comparing the same time period of the previous year.

Figures cover some disorders of the area, which can reflect some increase.

Recorded growth may be below to increase such hatred crimes, although a ratio may also be due to people reporting more people.

According to Peter Hopkins, a professor in social geography at the University of Newcastle, who researches Islamophobia, can also perform the international program “Peak Report”.

“We see that whenever a terrorist incident occurs or a big political incident occurs, there is often an increase,” he said, “if a terrorist has a TV coverage, it does not matter what their religion is, we will see an increase in a report in crimes against Muslims.”

Government data was shown earlier The conflict between Israel and Gaza also contributed to the increase in religious hatred crimes.

Violence also occurred in Hartlepool, Darlington and Middlesbro in several days, in which an estimated 1,000 people alone participated in an anti -immigration opposition in Middle Sobro.

The video shared on social media shows some crowds breaking the windows of homes and cars, which are being set.

A man blocking traffic on mobile phone footage and asking drivers “Are you white? Are you English?” it was Went to jail in November.

According to Amjid Khajir, founder of the anti-anti-organization media, “Racism has increased a lot in the last five to 10 years”

“I have been personally abused,” they say.

The Cleveland Police, who covers Middlesbro, saw the biggest growth of the race hatred crimes recorded in England and Wales in six months after the killings of Southport, with 918 incidents. It was above 545 compared to the same period of previous year – 68%jump.

Emily Harrison, the lead sup of the force on Hate Crime, said that there was a “clear spike” at the time of the disorder, but the number of reports had already returned to levels in line with months.

He said that “there was no real tendency towards racially inspired crimes and crimes since last summer incidents”.

More numbers of reports obtained compared to other local forces can be attributed to factors including “diverse” routes available for effective community engagement and reporting hate crimes, said.

When a car entered the fans in a football parade, celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title title in May, people were in a hurry to speculate on social media.

As after the Southport attack, the false rumors that started on social media claimed that he was a Muslim.

It left the Islamic community of Middlesbro, fear of a backlash, saying Mr. Khajir.

“Something happens at a distance of a few miles and you are afraid of your family in the middlesbro,” says Mr. Khajir.

“You are saying on your family’s phone, ‘Have you seen the news? Be careful where you go’.

“You are repeating them that it may be time to stay at home.”

In an unprecedented step on the evening of the parade incident, the Mercesis police confirmed that the arrested person was a white, British man.

Last year, the force was criticized for not releasing the details of Axal Rudakubana, later convicted for three murders in Southport, when the posts on social media were incorrectly suggesting that he was a refuge and potentially an Islamist extremist.

This time the clarification about the person detained in Liverpool was welcomed by the Islamic community, which was concerned with “replica”.

After the previous summer disorder, Mr. Khajir has warned racism that “there is a trend that is not ending”.

“There were riots to bear the challenges faced by us about social harmony.”

He also blames some politicians and figures for sharing “raj-bats” on social media.

“People are afraid of walking in parts of their cities,” they say.

“People are afraid of going out when they see a news report on a potential extremist incident on TV.

“You are in this cycle of constant fear.”