7 March 2019
The Green Party believes that, in a just society, everyone should be protected from crimes motivated by hatred and discrimination based on ethnicity, colour, gender, trans, sexual orientation, religion, social origin, age, disability including learning difficulties or any other prejudice.
The leader of our Borough Council, Andrew Bowles has recently defended his support of Tommy Robinson as support for freedom of speech. We believe that this type of hate speech must not be tolerated, especially by those in positions of authority within our community. It is extremely worrying that a leader of community does not understand the very real threat posed by hate speech online.
A large proportion of reported hate speech occurs online, particularly on social media sites. Far-right groups also employ cyber hate that increases religious tensions, this is a strategy used by the English Defence League (EDL) and the British National Party (BNP), who circulate anti-Muslim hate speech on Facebook and Twitter, this results in an increase in anti-Muslim language and the animosity towards Muslims & immigrants that exists in the UK. This kind of behaviour leads directly to hate crimes and hate incidents.
Tommy Robinson (Yaxley-Lennon) has been banned from Facebook and Instagram because, despite warnings, he has used these platforms to intimidate and harass minorities. The kind of language used by Yaxley-Lennon should not be tolerated online or anywhere else in our community.
Kent Police describe a hate crime as:
“ a crime committed against someone because of their disability, gender-identity, race, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
For example, a person or group of people could have;
- threatened or hurt you
- stolen from you and damaged something you own
- encouraged others to commit hate crime
- bullied you, for example spat at you or called you names”
To report a hate crime call 101, Kent Police or go into your nearest police station.
Find more advice at https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/hate-crime/
If you’d prefer to speak to someone else about what’s happened:
Go online to the http://www.report-it.org.uk/home
Or call Victim Support on 0300 303 0156
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