Understanding the 2024 Summer Riots in the UK: Three Case Studies

The wave of riots in England in summer 2024 were followed by swift policy responses before any detailed empirical investigation had been carried out. This paper presents case studies of the disorders in Bristol, Hanley, and Tamworth, using interviews and multiple secondary sources, to understand what happened and who was involved. Our analysis suggests that it is inaccurate to see the events as protests, since they consisted of racist attacks. Protagonists were ethnically white but not homogeneous. At least four different parties were involved – anti-immigrant participants, police, counter-protesters, and the targets of the actions (asylum seekers and Muslims). We compare these events to the 2011 English riots, and specify remaining unknowns that future research should address.