I’m not going to lie, last night I was concerned. Despite several off-the-record chats with police, the council and other organisations who gave me the impression that the chance of fascist rioters turning up on our doorstep had reduced, the atmosphere was still tense.
Driving along the High Street and then Midland Road at 4:30pm the town was eerily quiet. Bedfordshire Police had said that there was no need for people and businesses to change their normal routine, but some shops had decided to close ‘just in case’.
One business commented on social media, “Safety over money any day”.
Arriving at Queen’s Park there was already a small crowd of locals, supported by highly visible police, who had gathered on the roundabout between the Mosque and Gurdwara.
The atmosphere was strange. There was apprehension but people were smiling, happy to talk to me and welcome anyone to their community.
That is, of course, if you came in peace.
Last night there were people who were threatening to come to Bedford with no sign of peaceful intention.
They had threatened to protest in areas that they felt represented what they believe is a threat to Britain. They say they’re protesting what they say is uncontrollable immigration, when in fact they’ve proven they just want to try and divide communities with racist thuggery.
As police forces, community organisations, religious leaders, and local authorities in Bedfordshire and beyond worked to instil calm and reassure people in all communities that they would be protected, some communities in the UK organised counter-protests.
Bedford’s communities decided against this, instead planning to barricade themselves in places of worship to protect their buildings should they need to. They would stay off the streets and let the police do their job should it be necessary.
Thankfully it wasn’t.
Display of defiance
In the end, no one turned up. Was the list that had circulated an empty threat or had the reports of police capability and swift justice for offenders acted as a deterrent?
Whatever the reason, the heart-warming images of Bedford’s communities coming together, gathering on the streets in defiance is what we have woken up to.
No bricks through windows, no cars on fire, no calls from this newsdesk to the police to try and understand how things ‘kicked off’, how many people had been arrested and how many innocent bystanders had been hurt.
Bedford’s display of defiance is what should define us as a Borough and I am thankful that whenever there is a threat to our way of life, our communities, or our peaceful and diverse town, this is how we respond.
After the 7/7 bombings in 2005, the outpouring of grief from all communities in Bedford was overwhelming and in particular from the community of Queen’s Park.
I was invited along to speak to Bedford’s Muslim community there and hear how those terrorists who carried out the attacks were a threat to us all, and they absolutely did not represent true Muslims in Bedford or anywhere else.
A vigil was organised for the victims of the bombings and I took part in a hand-holding line that began at All Saint’s Church, extended past Gulshan-e-Baghdad Masjid Mosque and ended at the former site of the Gurdwara.
Then, following the 2016 Brexit vote, a peaceful ‘Humans of Bedford’ vigil took place in Bedford town centre to reassure all of the Borough’s communities that they were all welcome here.
Demonstrations of defiance and ongoing proof that in Bedford all communities work together. While proud that this cohesion still exists, it’s sad that once again we have to prove it.
Speaking to one bystander last night he said he feels society has gone backwards. He heard stories of how his parents faced racism, and while it got better as he grew older, now he’s seeing it return.
I’ve also spoken to Muslim women who say their anxiety about going out at night has increased as they have seen an increase in racist behaviour towards them.
The fact people are experiencing these issues in 2024 is disgusting.
Legitimate concerns
Let’s be clear, there are some who believe they have legitimate concerns over immigration and it’s ok for them to have those concerns. It is not racist to ask what level of immigration we as a country can cope with.
There also needs to be an honest conversation about how we stop those who exploit the vulnerable and move them across borders illegally for the most sinister of financial gains.
But these recent riots have not been about immigration. These recent riots have been about race.
Those taking part in thuggery over the past week are racist.
It is that simple.
If you are a racist and you think coming to Bedford is a good idea. Think again.
Maybe you’re a racist living in Bedford already. If so, your hatred is also not welcome.
Maybe your racism is born from a lack of understanding leading to fear, maybe you can do more to understand the differences in our communities that make Bedford beautiful.
Maybe there is hope for you, but you won’t be able to do it alone.
As a Borough, we need to do more to support each other. Last night’s peaceful gatherings were a sight to behold and one that I am sure most of us were delighted to see. But, the last few years have seen anger and fear of people’s differences rise and that worries me.
You just need to look at social media to see the hatred spewed from people’s keyboards aimed at those with different political beliefs, skin colour, sexuality, religion or gender.
It needs to stop and we need to stop it together.
True integration is a two-way street.
We all need to take the time to speak to our neighbours, attend community events, learn about other cultures and be tolerant of differences. We need to show our children that they can choose love over hate.
I know this all sounds very utopian and may read a little naive. Bedford does still have problems. There are issues with gangs, we do have problems with knife crime and there are concerns over begging, retail crime, drugs, dangerous driving and other crimes.
But these aren’t unique to Bedford and we’re doing a lot better than some.
We all play a part
Media has to play a part too. Nationally we have dangerous front pages and rhetoric that inflames the situation. These publishers know exactly what they’re doing to sell their papers and get clicks on their websites but ignore the impact it has outside of their bottom line.
Locally we have a Facebook group run by someone who not only once stood as a Borough councillor but also ran a publication that sometimes pushed the boundaries of what should be acceptable.
They may no longer be a publisher, but their Facebook group remains full of posts containing unverified conspiracies and veiled hatred. Their inability or lack of desire to moderate their group makes them culpable for the spread of misinformation and intolerance.
They’re in a position of responsibility and they must be called out by everyone to do better.
Our political leaders need to also lead by example. The tit-for-tat arguments and arrogance from some in council meetings give people the idea that it’s ok to not treat others with respect.
By all means, argue your point and get angry, but be constructive in your argument and be prepared to change your point of view.
Things won’t happen overnight, and this article might not make a difference other than it’s helped me get something off my chest and record for posterity the positive action we saw in Bedford’s Queen’s Park last night.
But if nothing more than that, we can also share that this morning, the communities of Queen’s Park have continued to issue messages of love, acceptance, and thanks.
Islam Bedford has thanked Bedfordshire Police for “their tremendous dedication and hard work in ensuring our safety, allowing our community to express unity and peace.”
They have expressed gratitude for what they say is “overwhelming support” from the community, both in person and through online messages. They say this has been “truly heartwarming”.
There is an appreciation for all the organisations that “stood together, united against racism and fascism.”
Islam Bedford also worked hard to verify false messages and keep everyone informed with accurate information to diffuse false alarms, some of which ranged from takeaways being “smashed up” to pharmacies on fire due to arson attacks.
Why people share these false messages, intentionally or not, I really don’t understand.
Representatives of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Temple have also issued messages of thanks.
In a statement, they said: “A key principle & belief in Sikhism is one of ‘manas ki jat sabhe eke pehchanbo’ – recognise all mankind as a single caste of humanity
“Sikhs believe that all human beings are equal and treat all people of the world on an equal footing – no racial, gender, social etc discrimination should be practised.
“This was evident in Queen’s Park yesterday.
“A huge heartfelt thank you to The Police and everyone who gave up personal time to be present at Guru Nanak Gurdwara. As the evening went on, the number of people at the Guru Ghar swelled to over 120.
“Singhs from West Midlands, West London and areas surrounding Bedford were present, and communities stood shoulder to shoulder alongside each other in defence of Queens Park, the Mosque & the Guru Ghar.”
They too joined in the plea for people to stop spreading fake news.
“Please refrain from creating or spreading fake news,” they said. “This was the only ‘damaging’ aspect yesterday. We request that you personally verify news that you receive before sharing it with others.”
As today continues I am sure our community leaders and elected officials will be meeting to debrief each other about what went right and what they’ve learnt from the way things were handled.
I’m sure our politicians local and nationally will be sending messages of support to all community leaders. The cynics will call it good PR, others will say it’s necessary to show a desire to work together.
What we really need though is genuine and robust action from those with the power to actually do something.
Yes, last night did indeed pass without incident but this was a warning.
We cannot keep burying our heads in the sand about the problems all communities across Britain face. We need to ask ourselves how we even got here in the first place and we need to be prepared to deal with it properly.
There won’t be a single answer, the problems are complex, but they won’t go away if we let some people use free speech as a weapon and if we ignore legitimate issues that affect us all.
They won’t go away if some media aren’t held to account when they publish inflammatory frontpages or articles and politicians are allowed to spread misinformation and dangerous rhetoric.
We must remember that all of us in Britain are descended from immigrants (sorry, racists, it’s true) and we must celebrate the differences that have shaped our society positively throughout history and continue to do so today.
We must stand up and refuse to allow people at all levels to attempt to divide the communities that make Bedford, and Britain, so wonderfully, brilliantly, beautifully diverse.
