National Hate Crime Awareness Week – public meeting in Redbridge

NOTE: This article was published on 2 October 2016Thursday 13 October, 7.30pm to 9pm, Gloucester Room, Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1EA Hate crime – crime driven by prejudices against certain groups in society – has never gone away. The police, the council and voluntary sector groups like us, have been supporting victims of…

NOTE: This article was published on 2 October 2016

Thursday 13 October, 7.30pm to 9pm, Gloucester Room, Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1EA

Hate crime – crime driven by prejudices against certain groups in society – has never gone away. The police, the council and voluntary sector groups like us, have been supporting victims of hate crime every day in Redbridge. The reality of hate crime hit the headlines when there was a sharp increase in racist abuse and attacks in the weeks following the EU Referendum. Physical attacks, people saying things like “we voted out now get out” – verbally, on t-shirts, scrawled on the walls of community centres.

This spike included Redbridge where we had a dramatic increase in reported hate crime in July compared to the previous year. But over a longer period the situation seems to have calmed down here.

Other places have fared worse. Close to Redbridge, Harlow has had one of the worse experiences of hate crime with severe attacks on the Polish Community including a murder which appears to have been motivated by racism. But at the same time we have seen in Harlow and other places, people coming together to condemn hate crime and to defend vulnerable communities.

So we have called this public meeting. Speakers include the Secretary of Harlow Trades Council, A Polish organisations called RAZEM; which means Together, Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND), Redbridge Concern for Mental Health about disability hate crime, Redbridge Rainbow Community about homophobic and transphobic attacks and ourselves – Redbridge Equalities & Community Council.

For further information contact office1@redbridgeequalities.org.uk or telephone (020) 8551-8178.


Paul Holborow

Paul Holborow

In the campaign against the National Front, Searchlight provided a rich and utterly reliable basis for much ANL propaganda – particularly with reference to the two leading NF figures, John Tyndall and Martin Webster. The appearance of Tyndall in full nazi uniform, drawn from the archives of Searchlight, was a key part of ANL propaganda, coupled with deeply damaging nazi quotes from Webster.

Paul Holborow
Founding member of the ANL and National Organiser 1977-81

Peter Hain

Peter Hain, founder of the ANL and friend of Searchlight

British Jews have been persecuted over the centuries; British blacks since the Windrush generation of the 1950s; British Muslims, especially after the Islamist 9/11 and then 7/7 terrorist attacks in New York 2001 and London 2005. But until the last few years there has not been a simultaneous threat against all three British communities of Jewish, Black and Muslim Britons – meaning the need for Searchlight has never been greater.

Peter Hain
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minster

Nick Davies

Nick Davies

To investigate fascists takes real courage and unusual commitment. The government, police, mainstream media occasionally take a look, but in the UK only Searchlight have kept at it, relentlessly and admirably, regardless of threat or obstacle. It’s journalism that matters. A rare thing.

Nick Davies
Multi-award-winning investigative journalist and writer

Alf Dubs

Lord Alf Dubs

Searchlight’s voice is more important than ever, and I am delighted that it will now be available to a wider audience than ever before in its new incarnation online. Searchlight has been extremely helpful over the years in exposing the far right, corruption, criminality and the murky links between organised crime and powerful interests in the UK and abroad. I wish Searchlight the very best.

Alf Dubs
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minister, and Kindertransport child

Paul Nowak

Paul Nowak

The essence of trade unionism is solidarity, fairness and equality – for all workers – from all backgrounds. That’s why our fight against the far-right has always been part of our movement’s DNA. Searchlight is an incredibly important resource for trade unions and members to understand the contemporary tactics of far-right activity. Their work and intelligence gathering over the years have been incredibly insightful for the work we do, and how we fight the scourge of fascism.

Paul Nowak
TUC General Secretary

Professor Colin Holmes

Professor Colin Holmes
Everyone who wants to understand contemporary racism and its historical background needs to read Searchlight.
Professor Colin Holmes
University of Sheffield

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