Rioting is never justified
by Editorial Board · The Washington TimesOPINION:
Rioting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, shows public anger over the uncontrolled immigration backed by European elites.
Although rioting can never be justified — despite the way some Democrats condoned the George Floyd riots of 2020 — the anger of many Europeans over what has become an open-borders policy is understandable.
The Belfast riots were sparked by the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. The man charged with the crime is a Sudanese asylum seeker who is alleged to have attacked Mr. Ogilvie with a large knife while shouting, “Allahu akbar” (God is great). The victim lost an eye and suffered wounds to his face, neck and back.
This came on the heels of protests in Britain over the death of 19-year-old Henry Nowak, who was stabbed by a Sikh with a 13-inch ceremonial dagger.
Nowak’s death was exacerbated by the police response. When they arrived on the scene, the attacker told police — who had recently been indoctrinated on how to handle hate crimes — that he was the victim of a racist assault. So they handcuffed the real victim and watched him bleed to death.
Nowak’s assailant was recently sentenced to life in prison for his murder.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who has been a vocal critic of the continent’s suicidal immigration policies, charged that Mr. Nowak would still be alive “if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”
Mass migration has sparked a culture war in Europe. Immigrants enjoy the prosperity of the West but resent the culture that gave birth to it. This has resulted in an upsurge of crimes against Europeans, attacks on churches and even opposition to something as innocuous as Christmas markets.
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It has also led to the creation of political parties seeking to bring sanity to the immigration debate, including Britain’s Reform UK, France’s National Rally Party and Germany’s Alternative for Germany Party. All have seized on popular discontent over open borders to build mass movements.
Lawlessness should always be condemned, but European leaders would be wrong not to recognize the legitimate anger behind the protests. If they continue to hide behind multicultural cliches, then they will not be leaders for long.
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