A group of voluntary sector leaders have expressed “shock and horror” at the violent far-right riots that have taken place across the country this week, saying civil society leaders will play a “leading role” in the community response to the disorder.

A statement from the Civil Society Group charity coalition strongly condemned the violence, saying the perpetrators are “fuelled by hatred, Islamophobia and misinformation”.

The riots, which have been associated with far-right groups, took place after the fatal stabbing of three girls at a dance class in Southport last week.

The disorder was fuelled by false reports and widespread social media speculation that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker.

After reporting restrictions due to the suspect’s age were lifted, the suspect was named as Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old who was born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff, Wales. He was charged on Thursday with three counts of murder, 10 attempted murders and possession of a curved kitchen knife.

Since the attack and subsequent speculation, violent anti-immigration protests broke out in several UK cities over the past week, including Southport, Liverpool, Birmingham and Belfast.

Across the country, rioters have violently attacked police officers and bystanders, shouted racist chants, attacked and set fire to mosques and businesses, and targeted hotels housing asylum seekers. In Sunderland a Citizens Advice office was burned out during the disorder, forcing the charity to temporarily relocate while the damage is assessed.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the attacks as “far-right thuggery”, saying that those involved will “feel the full force of the law”.

CharitySoWhite, an anti-racism campaign group, urged charities to speak out against the violence and support their staff in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

To every charity that put out BLM statements or participated in black square summer, your silence right now as racist violence targets Black and brown communities is deafening.

Speak out. Support your racialised staff. Work towards dismantling systemic racist oppression. https://t.co/5NJ6kYToqZ

— #CharitySoWhite (@CharitySoWhite) August 5, 2024

Today, a group of 16 voluntary sector leaders from the Civil Society Group of charities has published a statement saying they “reject and condemn” the actions of the rioters, who they describe as a “violent and vociferous minority, fuelled by hatred, Islamophobia and misinformation”.

Signatories include: Jane Ide, chief executive of the charity leaders body Acevo; Caron Bradshaw, chief executive of Charity Finance Group; Katie Docherty, chief executive of Chartered Institute of Fundraising; and Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive of the Directory of Social Change.

The statement said that staff and volunteers working in voluntary organisations, particularly those working with Muslim communities or with migrants and refugees, will be “feeling the same sense of shock and horror [...] that we are all experiencing”.

It pledged: “Civil society leaders will play a leading role in the community response to this violent unrest – supporting those most affected, redoubling their efforts to maintain continuity, and playing their part in healing the harms caused by this lawless minority.” 

Sarah Elliott, chief executive of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations – who also signed the Civil Society Group’s statement – said separately the rioters were “racist extremists whose sole aim is to create fear, division and chaos”.

She said: “Make no mistake, these are not protests or free speech,” she said. “They are acts of violence perpetrated by thugs in an attempt to fan the flames of racial hate and islamophobia.”

Elliott urged charities that had been affected or were afraid of being targeted to seek advice from the police or their local authorities.

The local infrastructure body Navca also published a statement, saying: “We utterly condemn the violent disorder perpetrated over the last five days.

“We stand to support those individuals and families who are the victims of hate. We offer our support to the community groups and charities who will continue their work and will start the necessary work of rebuilding lives and communities.”

The infrastructure body said it will be actively working with its members across England to support the communities affected as “vital community rebuilding takes place”.

The membership network Locality tweeted that the violence was “unacceptable”, saying: “We offer our solidarity to everyone impacted. For so many people across the country, the last few days will have been traumatising.”

The organisation said: “The sector has been working together to provide support and help local people who have been immediately affected by the violence. We will not allow far-right extremists to undermine community cohesion.”

Ndidi Okezie, chief executive of the youth organisation membership body UK Youth, expressed solidarity with the charity’s Muslim, migrant and law enforcement community members.

She said: “It is truly heartbreaking that the current disturbances in many towns and cities are diverting attention away from the unimaginable pain the Southport community is grappling with. It is crucial we do not lose sight of the support they need during this traumatic time.” 

Okezie said that “real fears and frustrations” are being weaponised and that young people are “falling prey to these narratives and getting caught up in destructive actions”.

UK Youth is providing guidance for youth workers on its website and is facilitating shared spaces for youth workers to connect and support each other, she said.

A group of 80 charities, including the Runnymede Trust, Action for Race Equality, Amnesty International UK, Refugee Action, Freedom from Torture and Ecpat UK have written to Starmer urging him to recall Parliament to “effect a national, coordinated political response which gets to the root of this violence”.

With 80 anti-racist and migrant rights organisations, we've written to @Keir_Starmer asking for Parliament to be recalled to address the scale of this crisis.

The new govt must change the dial, and foster zero tolerance for far-right, racist and anti-migrant narratives. pic.twitter.com/h1pH2GMhWB

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) August 5, 2024

The letter describes the situation as a “national emergency” and says the government must acknowledge that challenging the far-right is “not simply a question of online misinformation or increased police surveillance but involves a wholesale shift in our political culture, language and policies”.