Callout: Tell us how you feel after last summer’s racist violence in Bristol

Callouts 26th June, 2025

Siddhartha Kurapati

It’s been almost a year since the worst racist rioting in generations swept across the UK. Dozens of cities in England and Northern Ireland saw outbreaks of serious violence, during which numerous people were assaulted, mosques and other places of prayer were attacked and rioters tried to burn down hotels housing refugees. 

Violence also broke out in Bristol on Saturday 8 August 2024, when extremists who were part of a so-called  “Stop the Boats” protest confronted anti-fascists and anti-racists in Castle Park and tried to attack a hotel housing refugees in Redcliffe. Bristol was also one of the cities that saw huge anti-fascist demonstrations take place in response to the threat of further far-right violence the following week. 

With recent events around the globe, including the mass protests against ICE in Los Angeles (followed by a repressive state crackdown) and riots in the town of Ballymena, County Antrim, it’s clear that last year’s violence was not an isolated incident.

We want to speak to people who were present in Bristol during last summer’s violence, to find out about the effects of these events on Bristolians’ views of their home city. Do people feel less safe as a result? Has it inspired people to get more involved in their communities, or to withdraw? 

We’d particularly like to hear from you if you are:

• A shopkeeper who runs a business on West Street/Old Market
• An activist or protester who took part in the anti-fascist mobilisation
• A member of the public who witnessed the violence/protests. We’re particularly keen to hear from people who identify as Black/POC, those who live in centra/east Bristol and those who live in Redcliffe.