Whenever two or more people are gathered around a television watching scenes of xenophobic violence play out on the screen, it is highly likely that one of them will say something about "vandals" or "hooligans" or it being "just an excuse to loot".

This reaction is as understandable as it is predictable. No-one wants to believe that a marauding mob armed with sticks and stones can be fuelled solely by hatred. Much better for everyone's peace of mind if they are merely opportunistic thieves...