Xenophobic acts on the rise in post-Brexit Britain

[inanna]

Source: France 24

2016-06-28

With yellow paint still evident on the building’s doors, tenants of a Polish community centre in London on Monday described their fear after being targeted in a racist post-referendum attack condemned by Prime Minister David Cameron in parliament.

“The mood is a mixture of disgust and frightened. We’ve been here in the centre since 1962 and never encountered any racism,” Joanna Ciechanowska, director of a gallery within the Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) building in Hammersmith, told AFP.

<snip>

Around a dozen bouquets had been left on the front desk, along with messages of goodwill.

“We, the Brits, are very grateful to you for fighting alongside us in the war and for the enormous contribution you make to our society, we love you,” said one.

Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20160628-racism-britain-rise-post-brexit-polish-london-immigrants

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June 28 at 2:00 AM

Britain’s 850,000 Polish citizens face backlash after Brexit vote

Britain's vote to leave the European Union last week led to a near-immediate spike in reports of racist incidents. But while there is no shortage of British racism towards familiar scapegoats such as Muslims and nonwhite immigrants, two of the most notable post-Brexit events focused instead on immigrants from a predominantly white and Christian European country: Poland.

"Go home" were the words written on the Polish Social and Cultural Association's building in West London. Meanwhile in Cambridgeshire, laminated cards were distributed with the message “Leave the EU/No more Polish vermin,” written in not only English but also Polish. These two instances of anti-Polish sentiment have prompted a high-level official response from British authorities, with Prime Minister David Cameron suggesting that such behavior "must be stamped out" during a speech at Parliament on Monday. The Polish embassy in London also responded, releasing a statement that said it was "shocked and deeply concerned" by the reports.

...

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/28/britains-850000-polish-citizens-face-backlash-after-brexit-vote/

[Night Watchman]

1. The Xenophobes got their Permission Slip on Thursday

Now they're just letting their real selves show.

[pampango]

2. Guardian: Cameron condemns xenophobic and racist abuse after Brexit vote after spike in hate crimes

and abuse after EU referendum

David Cameron has condemned “despicable” xenophobic abuse after the EU referendum as figures suggested a 57% increase in reported incidents. The country would not stand for hate crime, the prime minister told MPs.

“In the past few days we have seen despicable graffiti daubed on a Polish community centre, we’ve seen verbal abuse hurled against individuals because they are members of ethnic minorities,” Cameron said. “Let’s remember these people have come here and made a wonderful contribution to our country. We will not stand for hate crime or these kinds of attacks, they must be stamped out.”

Cameron’s condemnation came amid a growing chorus of concern over intolerance and hostility. The mayor of London and the UK’s biggest Muslim organisation spoke out against a spike in racist abuse in the aftermath of the referendum.

The Polish embassy in the UK said it was shocked at incidents of xenophobic abuse directed at members of its community in the past few days, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was alarmed by reports of harassment and abuse.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/27/sadiq-khan-muslim-council-britain-warning-of-post-brexit-racism

[jpak]

3. Boycott England

yup

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. ^^^ THIS ^^^

[PaulaFarrell]

4. happened to my friend today

Accosted by old guy, shaken by the arm, told to go home. She's Portuguese.

[Darb]

5. Scaredy cats, haters, and whiners.

Just like our teabaggers and their Repiglicker enablers.

[maryellen99]

6. They've even gone after white Americans over there as well

I think they want everyone out who is not white English out.

[Nihil]

10. Any link to that please?

I haven't seen any such accusations (i.e., "They've even gone after white Americans over there&quot ,
just the usual rubbish against obvious targets like in the OP incident.

Thanks in advance.

[maryellen99]

12. Here you go

[link:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/06/27/1542919/-Hate-on-the-rise-in-the-dis-United-Kingdom|

[Nihil]

14. Ah, Facebook ... that explain why I hadn't seen any of that ...

Thanks for the link!

[maryellen99]

15. You're welcome 🙂

[SDJay]

13. I'm a White American Visiting London Right Now

And I've been all over the city. I tend to search for local areas when I'm in different parts of the world. Absolutely everyone has been polite and pleasant with me.

[Chakab]

7. Any of the people who were here claiming that it was offensive to state that xenophobia played a

huge motivating factor in the leave vote want to admit that you were wrong, or are you just going to avoid these topics altogether?

[msanthrope]

9. Are there people still claiming this is about "neoliberalism?" nt