National call-to-action on rising tide of racist violence

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Anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth saw masked, black-clad men from the “Patriot Platform” attack Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescuers for bringing small-boat migrants ashore over the weekend.

Today RNLI volunteers and staff were warned not to wear the charity’s branding because of the “unacceptable abuse.” 

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak called for a “more robust” police response to the “proto-fascists” today.

“Once you start to tolerate that sort of organised thuggery on our streets it’s a slippery slope,” he told the Morning Star.

“I take with a huge pinch of salt” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s calls for a ban on wearing face coverings in public in response to the thuggery for “somehow equating people wearing balaclavas, with that sort of organised thuggery, with women wearing burkas,” he added.

“As far as I’m concerned most women wearing the burka or hijab are not engaged in anti-social or thuggish behaviour and those men clearly were.”

The joint statement by Amnesty International UK and 151 others including Oxfam, Mind and the PCS union came as a Church of England bishop warned fascism is on the rise in Britain.

Bishop of Kirkstall Arun Arora condemned the twisted theology of the self-described “Christian patriots” led by Daniel “Danny Tommo” Thomas, a former bodyguard of the far-right influencer Tommy Robinson, who were heard chanting “Christ is King.”

The statement outlines how “levels of racist violence and intimidation that were once considered extreme are now becoming weekly occurrences” across Britain.

This reflects “the consequences of years of growing inequality, underinvestment in communities and public services, and political and media narratives that have normalised racism, anti-migrant sentiment and Islamophobia,” it says. 

It calls on ministers to act with urgency in tackling “the dangerous cycle of political narratives” and to “work with impacted people and communities to ensure their rights are protected and no-one is forced to live in fear due to their religion, ethnicity, immigration status or skin colour.”

Runnymede Trust, Fire Brigades Union, Stop the War, Stand Up To Racism, Together Alliance, Action Aid and the Muslim Council of Britain are among the statements’ signatories. 

Footage posted on social media this week showed volunteers being labelled “traitors” as they helped a dinghy to safety in Portsmouth.

Protests have been held at RNLI sites, including on Wednesday, when a small anti-migrant gathering was held at the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset. 

A building was set alight in Glasgow allegedly after misinformation spread that it would be used to house people seeking asylum. 

Amnesty International UK chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri said: “The images from the port of Dover, Portsmouth and Glasgow over the weekend were truly shocking. 

“It’s time for our political leaders to show clear moral leadership, challenge racist narratives and stand firmly alongside those who are being targeted.”

Runnymede Trust CEO Dr Shabna Begum said: “From the racist riots that began in Southport two years ago, to the pogroms we witnessed in Belfast this summer, and now this weekend’s events, racist violence and intimidation is increasingly normalised in the UK.  

“Those of us working in the racial justice and migrants’ rights sector have consistently called for the government to address the political and structural conditions enabling this escalation, most recently through our joint call with more than 100 organisations for a comprehensive national anti-racism strategy. 

“We all deserve to live in safety and without fear. We need decisive government action to stop this cycle of violence from escalating further, it is already long overdue.”

In a statement today, an RNLI spokesman said: “Given the unacceptable abuse our people have faced, and with protest activity taking place at RNLI locations, we have taken action to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our volunteers and staff.

“As well as enhancing security at RNLI locations, we issued guidance to our people earlier this week on how to keep themselves safe.

“This guidance included how to manage potentially challenging interactions with members of the public, and where appropriate, choosing not to wear RNLI-branded clothing.

“Our people have been reminded that their safety comes first, and they are encouraged to report relevant incidents internally and, where appropriate, to the police.”

The Cabinet Office was contacted for comment.

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