In the second episode of BBC Three’s Small Town, Big Riot, Mobeen Azhar resumes his investigation into the disturbing events that unfolded in Kirkby, Merseyside, in 2023. The protest outside an asylum seeker hotel escalated into a full-blown riot, and Mobeen seeks to uncover the catalysts that ignited this explosion of violence.
Mobeen discovers a concerning connection between a local man with white supremacist ideologies and the unrest that preceded the riot. This individual, now incarcerated for inciting racial hatred, had been actively campaigning outside the Suites hotel in the lead-up to the incident. Mobeen examines the impact of this man’s actions and explores whether there is a causal link to the subsequent chaos.
The investigation expands beyond Kirkby as Mobeen learns about a shift in the Conservative government’s policy regarding asylum seeker accommodations. They began favoring larger sites, such as the former RAF base Scampton, moving away from the use of hotels. This change occurred shortly after the riot in Kirkby, raising questions about the government’s response to the incident and the potential influence of far-right ideologies.
Small Town, Big Riot, Series 1 Episode 2 of 2 airs on BBC Three on Tuesday, 24 September 2024, at 9:00 PM.
