The racist riots which have taken advantage of the horrific attack in Southport have been utterly shocking in scale. Yet these were sadly not unpredictable as they are taking place in a context where reactionary politics have become increasingly mainstream. For decades now, the mainstream elite, that is those with a privileged access to shaping public discourse (politicians, media, academics), have not only failed in countering the very real threat posed by reactionary politics but played an active role, consciously or not, in their normalisation. Hate might be weaponised for short-term political gains, but it can never be controlled. It has led us down the spiral of radicalisation we are witnessing on the streets.
Through moral panics about asylum seekers, Islam or trans people, the normalisation of the exclusion of some communities and their homogenisation have paved the way for the emboldening of extreme right actors. The euphemisation of the reactionary far-right threat as ‘populism’, the legitimisation of hate and racism as ‘legitimate grievances’ of the ‘left behind’ and the platforming and enabling of bad faith actors have done terrible damage to our public discourse, and academic research has played a significant role in these processes. The riots are the direct product of the hostile environment which finds its roots in mainstream politics and discourse.
As a network primarily composed of academics, we are aware of our responsibility to do better as a profession. It is to this end that our aim is to open the doors of research to the communities directly impacted by reactionary politics and remain uncompromising in our anti-fascist and intersectional practice.
As a network involved in both researching and combatting these politics, we stand in solidarity with all those victims of racist and reactionary violence, not only physical but through wider discourse normalisation and state policies and practices.
The RPRN