Staying Safe

A man angrily pointing at two police officers wearing riot protection clothing

There have been stories in the news about riots and protests in the UK.

A woman and a man holding their fists up with angry looks on their faces

A riot is when a group of people are aggressive or violent in public.

A man starting a fire in front of a damaged building

A small number of people have been hurt in the recent riots and some buildings have been damaged.

A person standing behind prison bars holding on to them

The police have arrested some of the people who were rioting.

Some are going to prison.

A group of people surrounding a woman and shouting abuse at her

The riots have been organised by a small number of people who think bad things about people from different countries, religions, ethnicities and races.

This means these are hate crimes which are against the law.

Two men standing next to each other. One is shrugging and the other is angry and waving his arms

A hate crime is when someone breaks the law and does something to you because of your:

disability
race or ethnicity
religion or belief
sexual orientation
transgender identity

A light stone coloured Mosque with a gold dome and crescent mood on top

A hate crime can be someone breaks the law and damages a building because of the people who use it.

Two men pointing at two women holding hands

A hate incident is when someone does not break the law, but does something to you because of your:

disability
race or ethnicity
religion or belief
sexual orientation
transgender identity

If you see or experience a hate crime, you should tell the police.

A call operator sitting in front of a screen with a 101 poster behind

If it is not an emergency, phone 101 or report it on your local police force’s website .

A female police officer using a radio with a male police officer standing behind her

If it is an emergency, phone 999 and ask for the police.

If you see or experience a hate incident, it is a good idea to tell the police.

A group of people holding up signs for change and another person is shouting through a megaphone

Other people have arranged protests against the reasons why people are rioting. They want to stand up against hate.

A protest is when people stand up for what they believe in and meet up in groups in public together.

They should be peaceful.

A woman with blonde hair and glasses holding a megaphone

It is legal to go to a protest so long as the protest is not violent and people don’t hurt others or damage things.

What should I do to keep safe?

A woman with her fingers nails in her mouth looking scared

You might feel worried about the riots.

Do not go to places where there are riots.

Someone being handcuffed by a police officer

If you get involved in a riot, you might get arrested.

If you have to go to places where there have been riots, think about how you will get there.

If people are violent or say nasty things to you, tell the police or get someone you trust to help you do this.

If you are feeling scared about going to places, talk to someone you know and trust. Ask them to go with you.

If the riots have made you feel anxious talk to someone you trust about it.

A community with people, housing, a tree and a church

Remember that it is a very small number of people who are rioting and the police are stopping them.

Most people want our communities and streets to be safe.