In recent weeks, violent protests in the UK have once again erupted over the contentious issue of immigration, with the small town of Epping, Essex, becoming the latest flashpoint. What began as outrage over an alleged sexual assault by an asylum seeker quickly spiraled into something far more dangerous: a coordinated display of far-right extremism, enabled by misinformation, fueled by economic anxieties, and amplified by the uncontrolled reach of social media.

Eight police officers were injured, over 20 protesters were arrested, and a town of just 12,000 was left shaken by scenes more reminiscent of an urban riot than suburban unrest. The target was a local hotel housing asylum seekers. Protesters, many masked, stormed the premises and clashed with police, claiming to represent “genuinely concerned families.” But beneath this thin veneer of community concern lies a far more organized and toxic undercurrent – a political ideology weaponizing fear for electoral gain.

Almost exactly a year ago, Britain witnessed similar unrest in Southport after three young girls were stabbed to death at a dance class. The outrage was immediate and explosive. The killer was wrongly assumed to be a migrant, sparking days of violent protests. In reality, the perpetrator was a UK-born teenager of Rwandan descent. Facts, however, arrived too late to prevent the damage – because in today’s political landscape, facts matter far less than the narratives that can be spun online within hours.

The echoes of Southport are deafening in Epping. Both incidents show how quickly misinformation, often rooted in racist or xenophobic assumptions, spreads and mobilizes disaffected segments of society. Both reveal a disturbing truth: far-right actors are increasingly coordinated, strategic, and ruthless in exploiting social flashpoints.

What makes the Epping protests particularly alarming is that........

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