Why is it a particular type of, usually men, who are normally the instigators of civil unrest?

[coworkingdesk]

It can’t be that they’re all just disillusioned or angry or even just thick. It largely seems to be working class men (and yes some women). When I passed the Tommy Robinson March last week when I was in London, it was a very similar demographic although I must admit it looked mainly quite calm.

I feel angry for the families of those poor girls, it’s beyond dreadful what happened to them but the rioters must know that they’re not helping them at all (or themselves).

So is it just racism? I saw some of the videos on X last night of black men and Muslims being singled out and attacked and can’t really think it’s down to anything else. The footage was shocking.

I agree with you it's mainly working class males in their 30's.

Wanted to add a fun fact -

Did you know that "Tommy Robinson" isn't his name? It's a stage name! Get that! Even civil disrupters have stage names, who'd have thought.

Bitter with very small dicks ?

'Tommy Robinson' was the alias he chose because it was the name of a football hooligan. The current TR has a string of convictions, including for violence and mortgage fraud. His main home is not even in the UK at the moment apparently. He has new charges against him for contempt of court, for having shown a video defaming a teenager despite having lost a court case about it and being forbidden to show it again. Let’s hope he’s soon put in jail for a long time.

Yes probably all the above but surely that can’t just be working class men? You don’t see many middle class men on their way back from Waitrose popping in for a quick riot on their way home (before anyone mentions this it’s meant to be a generalisation).

This has always been the group that is targeted for radicalisation like this. A tough life often, anger at not getting the advantages that many have, a want to have a physical outlet for that anger, promised so much and given so little. Out of work there may be little money to do much and time to think. It means they can easily be directed to blame that on “others” whether it be Muslims, Jews, Irish people, Black people at various times through history.

The women are stereotypically (but also genuinely) possibly less want to have a violent outlet and are busy with the realities of life.

They’re racists and xenophobes. Utterly repulsive.

Alcohol and coke. Don't pay attention to the news. No hobbies.

Mindless thugs who are increasingly emboldened by other likeminds online.

And it can be middle class waitrose shoppers. The chelsea fan charged with racist abuse was of thus demographic, so being a waitrose shopper doesn't make you immune to being a nasty piece of work.

I mean watching those videos I can’t think it is down to anything else that racism and mostly Islamophobia. It’s awful.

There is a picture on BBC website of a female police officer going eye to eye with a middle aged bald man with utter hatred on his face. Describes so much about these violent men I think.

Would a lack of intelligence play into it? You'd have to be thick surely to cause such mindless violence.

Lack of intelligence and racist. With a strong correlation to misogynism.

I’m not defending the violence which I condemn absolutely but I completely understand why they are protesting. Men are more violent than women. And of course it’s the working classes. They are in competition with migrants for resources: housing, medical, education, community. If you own your own home, have a career and can afford a private dentist etc, you probably aren’t feeling so aggrieved about immigration. For many people each day is a struggle.

It's the cultural vacuum they grew up in and live in - no watching the news for a sense of perspective, no reading books helping them learn about lives other than their own, no experience of music, art, literature.

The only people targeting them are selling them materialistic shit (making them feel bitter about other people having more) or inciting hatred. Modern algorithms have probably exacerbated this even more.

I have been thinking about this a lot.

If you watch the American Christian or Muslim podcast bros, the angry incels and even some of the ultra left men you see the same traits of either vulnerability to radicalisation or grandiosity/personality disorders.

I read somewhere, maybe here, that these are the sort of men that civilisations have traditionally sent off to war as they are not suited to domesticity. Which was rather harsh, but I can see some truth in it!

I see them as opportunistic thugs/criminals.

It can’t be that they’re all just disillusioned or angry or even just thick.

Why not? Mix together a lack of education and opportunity, poverty and feeling disillusioned and angry with your "lot" in life and you have the perfect boiling pot for civil unrest and rioting.

Inbreeding? Lack of gene pool? But scarily these are contributing to the next generation

The riots in 2011 started as a protest against police racism. Many of the rioters were non-white (although plenty were). The rioters 2 weeks ago were Roma. There have been unrests by Muslim communities in recent weeks following Manchester airports. As well as following perceived slights to their religion. Several premises were smashed up as part of pro Gaza protests. As well as the usual far right ‘protect the Cenotaph against imaginary threats’ shit.

Common denominator? Thugs and bullies.

I think men who lack a purpose and structure tend to be prone to violence.

Most of them just come across as very entitled; a strong need to control. That is what makes them so dangerous because they will use violence to get what they want. Their partners will be kept in line or just put them at the top of the hierarchy all the time.

Yea they are racist but it’s not confined to some working men in England. I reckon you could find similar mentalities in extreme Islamic groups where you also see controlling men. The thing is it’s the mentality of control and the right to use violence to get it.

They are the demographic with least to lose?

Yes it's racism. I saw a shocking video this morning of a group dragging an asian man out of his car and smashing it up. Mindless thugs.

But I also think there is resentment simmering that should be understood rather than just written off as these people being thick knuckle dragging idiots.

I think the Tory government has a lot of responsibility for stoking so much anti immigration rhetoric. The number of people coming over in boats is tiny but was given so much attention.

I also think our policies of housing asylum seekers and how long it takes to process them is partly to blame. I think the reason it's so often white working class people is due to the fact they are more likely to be negatively impacted by immigration when groups of asylum seekers are housed locally to them. If you live in a middle class area then you are unlikely to have hotels full of male asylum seekers hanging around your local town with nothing to do.

It may also be that some white working class people and immigrants are competing for the same resources eg, social housing. If you've been sat in a bed-sit for years waiting for social housing and you perceived someone from another country getting it first then it's little wonder resentment builds.

There's also the echo chamber of social media and the views of your peers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1rrzp1qwp1o.amp

I think violent disorder is becoming just more common in general. Social media makes it easier to find likeminded people and organise things. As well as increasing anger, division, resentment and a lack of respect for authorities or people you see as other or at odds with your personal religion or way of life.