Racist attacks on the rise in UK since 7/7 bombing

Since the July 7 London bombings there has been 800 racist and religious attacks reported around the United Kingdom. The brutal death of Anthony Walker, a black 18-year-old student from Liverpool, is closely reminicent of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, another black teen.

On the evening of July 28 Walker, along with his white girlfriend and cousin, was waiting at a bus stop when a hooded white man came along and directed a torrent of racist abuse. The three walked away with retaliating, but a gang of white men appeared from a nearby park. Walker's girlfriend and cousin ran to get help, but when they came back Walker was on the ground with an axe in the back of his head.

Since the attack there have been three arrests. The story sent shockwaves throughout the country, challenging the state of race relations in today's Britain.

The crime is almost identical to that of Stephen Lawrence, who was also murdered at a bus stop in south London in 1993.

As the investigation into those accused of the London bombings, many critics believe that the government's new policy on "shoot to kill" has created an open season on attacking on so-called "foreigners" such as Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian electrician shot dead before it was realized that he was wrongfully suspected of being a suicide bomber. He was suspected because he "looked" Asian.

The UK really needs to take a closer look at it's own identity as a country.