News england riots

This brickie helping to rebuild a Southport mosque has wise advice for rioting thugs

Poke Reporter. Updated August 5th, 2024

It’s been an horrendous week for the people of Southport.

The unimaginable horror of the murder of three young girls, followed by rioting fuelled by misinformation on social media, has left the Merseyside community shaken to its core.

At times like this, it can be hard to see the good in the world. But this week has also seen people rally to support their locality, praising those who helped on that terrible day, and with volunteers helping to clean up after the rioting.

It’s in this context that a video of a bricklayer named Tony Hill went viral over the last few days. Tony was one of the people who had come to Southport to help, and he set about rebuilding a wall at the Southport Islamic Society mosque that thugs attacked during the riots.

Barney Davis, a journalist with the Independent who has been doing excellent reporting from the town, shared this video of a chat with brickie Tony as he worked fast to rebuild the mosque wall in sweltering heat.

And Tony’s wise words should be emblazoned across every social media site to encourage people to think before they act.

Barney asks: “Do you have a message for the people who did tear this [mosque wall] apart?”

Here’s what Tony says:

“Get your facts right first before you start doing stuff…Facebook is a dangerous thing if you just want an agenda. Make sure you get it right first.”

In another video, Tony explains that he’s hurrying to rebuild the wall because he fears the rioters will come back. “If we have to build it again afterwards, we have to build it again afterwards,” he says.

People love Tony’s message about the dangers of mis/dis-information, but also how he celebrates – and embodies – community and helping others.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Finally, Twitter user Dan Hett raises a good point – we hope Tony soon covered up his head while outdoors in that peak daytime heat!

12.

READ MORE

These proud Brits tried to explain how their country had been taken away and were owned into next year

Source: Twitter/X/@BarneyDavisInd Image Screengrab, Screengrab