If the far-right believe they can divide our city, they are mistaken.
We, the undersigned, stand united in solidarity with all communities in Birmingham. We reject the far-right's attempts to exploit tragedy to further their divisive agendas, both on the streets and online. As witnessed over the last few days, communities across the country are standing together to say: ‘no, not in our city.’
Unfortunately, the far right’s actions show a pattern of racist thinking that has never gone away. Communities have been held responsible for the actions of an individual. People who have known no other home have been told they don’t belong here. People have been targeted and attacked based on their appearance and skin colour.
As organisations, we exist to fight this thinking. All the far-right have done is make us reaffirm our commitment to this goal.
We know there is work to be done. In the longer term, we will continue our work to fight racism and xenophobia. Today, though, we commit to:
sharing information and resources so those affected by recent events know who they can turn to for support and advice
only sharing accurate, verified information from reputable sources regarding the mobilization of racist protests
standing in unity against divisive, far-right rhetoric, wherever it appears
We are angry and upset that the events of the last few days have shifted the narrative from where it should be: the tragedy in Southport. Our thoughts are with the families of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe.
Unfortunately, the presence of the far right in Birmingham is not unusual. From the 1970s, throughout the 2010s, Birmingham has seen racist marches and protests. But in the end, when the marches have finished and the streets have been cleared, Birmingham has remained, united.
This is our history. We believe it is our future, too.
Elizabeth Zeddie Lawal
Founder, More Than a Moment
Faith Ngcob
Birmingham Asylum and Refugee Association (BARA)
Nazek Ramadan
Director, Migrant Voice
Doug Rockett-Stewart
Strategic Lead, Shelter Birmingham
Jean Templeton
Chief Executive, St Basils
Joy Warmington MBE
CEO, brap
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