Responding to the riots which took place over the weekend, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“The overwhelming majority of people will be appalled by the scenes of violence, racism and looting inflicted by far right thugs in towns and cities across Britain.
“Those who co-ordinated these so-called protests have exploited the tragic events in Southport to incite misplaced fear, division and hatred – often at a distance through social media.
“The vile thuggery of those involved not only disrespects the victims and their families in Southport but also tarnishes the reputation of the diverse and strong communities protestors falsely claim to represent.
“It’s distressing to see racist mobs laughing while attacking hotels housing vulnerable asylum seekers. Mosques have been attacked forcing the government to step up security to keep the mobs out. Virulent islamophobia has taken hold on the streets, polluting British town and cities and making people feel unsafe.
“Social media is making life too easy for the thugs. Social media companies need to do all they can to impede the criminals and those spreading hate.
“Public servants have been in the firing line too. It’s been reported that Filipino NHS nurses and others travelling to work to help treat the injured have been attacked, and several police officers striving to keep our streets safe have been injured too. No one should be fearing for their safety simply because of the colour of their skin.
“In modern Britain, there is no place for violence or racist thuggery. Communities must stand united in rejecting this abhorrent extremism and work to foster a society grounded in mutual respect.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contact:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
The article Communities must come together to reject extremism and hatred, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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