One year on from being cornered in Birmingham, have local divisions mended?

Published: 05 August ‘2025 | The English Chronicle Online

One year after chaotic scenes unfolded in Bordesley Green, a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of Birmingham, questions still linger in the air. The tension, fear, identity crisis, and raw emotion that bubbled over into confrontation last summer still echo on the streets—and in the hearts of those who witnessed it.

The unrest broke out following the now-infamous Southport attack, which triggered nationwide disturbances and spurred fears that far-right groups were marching toward communities like Bordesley Green. As Sky News journalist Becky Johnson reported live from the area, a group of masked men surrounded her and her team, swearing and gesturing aggressively. The intimidation did not stop there—shortly afterward, a man with a knife attempted to slash their broadcast van’s tyre as they tried to leave.

A year later, Johnson returned to the very neighbourhood where the ordeal unfolded, seeking clarity, answers, and perhaps reconciliation. What she found was a complex web of unresolved fear, frustration, introspection, and a burning question: what does it truly mean to belong in Britain today?

For Naeem Yousef, a 48-year-old resident, the crowd that swarmed the streets wasn’t a mindless mob—it was a fearful community that had lost faith in its protectors. According to him, disillusionment with local representatives and policing left people believing that their safety rested in their own hands. Tanveer Choudhry, 56, echoed a similar sentiment, admitting that while every community has its troublemakers, the fear of an armed far-right attack led to a defensive reaction—however misguided.

Community activist Naveed Sadiq hosted Johnson and a group of residents—including both Muslim and white locals—to reflect on the incident and its deeper implications. Among them was Gerry Moynihan, a white resident who chose to stay indoors that day after receiving warnings to avoid the streets. He believed people were not merely reacting to rumour but actively seeking out those they viewed as threats—often mistakenly identified along racial lines.

When asked if Johnson’s team was targeted because they were white, the group offered a more nuanced view. Some said the men were simply bored, seeking adrenaline in the chaos. Others believed that even if the journalists were British Asian, the hostility would have been the same, rooted in a desire to prevent exposure rather than racial profiling.

Yet, the conversation quickly moved beyond that one night to deeper and more troubling questions of identity. Joe Khann, a local Muslim man, shocked many when he expressed empathy with anti-immigration protesters, saying that his own community faces internal frustrations about immigration abuse—such as fraudulent marriages and benefits misuse. Yet, despite being born in Britain, he feels perpetually labelled a foreigner.

Naeem posed a powerful question: “As a white person born in this country, you are automatically accepted. Are we going to be accepted? How many generations will it take for us to be accepted?”

This identity crisis lies at the heart of a larger national dilemma—one that transcends Birmingham and reaches into the very soul of British multiculturalism. Many of the Muslim men interviewed expressed deep disillusionment with the media, accusing it of operating a double standard that casts Muslims in a consistently negative light. According to them, when a Muslim commits a crime, their religion becomes part of the headline—unlike with other groups.

Naeem went so far as to say Muslims have become “the bogeyman” of modern Britain. He compared today’s vilification of Muslims with the discrimination once directed at the Irish community—arguing that when society faces hardships like housing shortages or rising crime, scapegoats are created to deflect from governmental failures.

As the group spoke, a shared weariness emerged—not just about immigration or media narratives, but about being caught between identities, never fully embraced by a country they consider home. Their grievances are real, yet so too is the pain of journalists like Johnson, who continue to face threats simply for doing their job.

As Johnson stood once again at the very roundabout where her team was ambushed, a man in a passing car mimicked pulling the trigger of a gun at her. It was a chilling reminder that for all the discussions, the coffee shop reflections, and the honest conversations—some wounds remain open, some tensions unspoken, and some dangers still lurk in broad daylight.

A year on, the riot is over, but the reckoning is not. Britain’s social fabric remains stretched—across race, religion, trust, and truth. Whether it tears or strengthens will depend on how deeply the nation is willing to listen, confront, and most importantly, heal.