Stand Up To Racism are calling for a unity protest in Croydon this coming Saturday
The protest will bring together a wide spectrum of the community following a horrific attack which took place late Friday evening. The attack left a 17 year old asylum seeker fighting for his life after being chased and viciously assaulted by multiple assailants.
Stand Up To Racism initiated an emergency vigil yesterday (Sunday 2nd April) which was well attended by community groups such as Momentum, Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC), a local refugee charity, trade unionists and faith leaders. Speakers all spoke of the need to bring the local community together after this cowardly attack, by displaying the true tolerant multicultural face of Croydon. There were a mix of homemade ‘refugees welcome’ placards and others saying ‘stop racists attacks’.
Police have now charged 5 people over the attack, with one of them being charged for “racially aggravated grievous bodily harm”
Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism said; “It is shocking to think that a child has come to Britain seeking sanctuary and instead has been met with violence and intolerance.
This has not happened in a vacuum, the Home Secretary recently celebrated the ‘hostile environment’ her government were creating for migrants and refugees.
The government, along with sections of the media and UKIP should take some responsibility for the anti-migrant rhetoric they have whipped up, which has sowed the seeds for this kind of racist attack.
Communities are too often being encouraged to turn on each other to explain deprivation and lack of resources but this does not benefit anyone and lets those responsible off the hook.
More than a third of the public have been involved in showing solidarity with migrants and refugees. This is the true face of our communities which we need to draw strength from.”
Please invite and share the facebook event for Saturday’s vigil here