Nura, a single mother of four who lives in Hull, England, said that last weekend she hid in her apartment as people shouted and threw bricks at neighboring buildings as the children asked what was going on.
“I can’t say that they want to go after immigrants, because we are immigrants,” Nura told ABC News.
Last Saturday, Hull was one of many cities in England and Northern Ireland to experience violent disturbances by what authorities described as “far-right thugs”. The unrest came after a Southport knife attack that claimed the lives of three girls, prompting right-leaning groups to call for demonstrations and protests.
Misinformation circulating online falsely claimed the suspect in the stabbing attack was a Muslim illegal immigrant. The 18-year-old power in the Southport knife attack was named on August 1 as Axel Rudakubana, born in England to Rwandan parents.
Due to this misinformation, the demonstrations in the United Kingdom began to turn violent with the number of arrests related to violent disturbances currently at 483, according to the National Council of Police Chiefs, with 149 charges so far.
Screengrab from a video showing a crowd attacking a car in Hart Street, Hull on August 3, 2024. Humberside Police told ABC News that the video was part of an investigation into the incident.
Humberside Police
Four months ago, Nura said her young family was living the “nightmare” of war-torn Sudan, where the UN Refugee Agency said, as of August 2024, more than 10.2 million people had been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. .
“In Khartoum, we have a very good life. If we were not threatened and everything was taken from us, we would not have chosen to become immigrants,” said Nura. “Back home we lost everything, now I have to start all over again.”
Nura said when her family lived in the north of England, “We felt at home, to be honest, we felt safe.”
But when there was violence in Hull, Nura and her children did not leave the apartment. “I cried for two days, I remember everything we have done,” he said.
On Saturday, less than a kilometer from Nura’s apartment, Humberside police confirmed a group of people targeted a silver BMW. A video verified by ABC News of the attack showed agitators chanting “foreigners” and “kill them” as the group beat cars with poles.
British anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate told ABC News via email, “Over the past week, we have seen again how Telegram has been used by extremist figures to spread hate and organize events that have led to horrific violence on the streets of England. .”
Telegram confirmed to ABC News that a channel titled “Southport Wake Up” that aired on the day of the Southport murders was removed from the platform on August 7. Telegram maintains that “moderators are actively monitoring the situation and removing channels and posts containing calls. for violence.”
Before this channel was deleted, it had gathered more than 13,000 followers and many of the posts seen by ABC News provoked violence and used racial slurs. One post appeared to provide the names and addresses of 39 immigration lawyers accompanied by the command “Wednesday night lads. They will not stop coming until YOU tell them. No more immigration. 20.00. Masks up.”
Hope Not Hate lists several “right-wing” figures famous for igniting “the flames of hatred against Muslims and migrants,” who find themselves “scapegoats in the middle of a storm of disinformation.”
The charity went on to say, “Communities are paying the price because this rhetoric has fueled prejudice, and ultimately violence. This is not only harming the safety of Muslims and other minority groups, but entire communities across the country”.
Nura said she is looking forward to staying in Hull – her children enjoy the new school, friends and activity club. When his asylum application was approved, Nura said he would continue his work as a hematologist and immunologist.
On Sunday, Nura and her children joined the residents to clean up the damage in the neighborhood. “We all need to respect each other and accept our differences. We are here to help each other, to make life better for all,” he said.
He added, “I like to live in unity, as individuals, we are different, and this is what makes our community great.”
