U.N. panel blames U.K. politicians for upsurge in racist hate crimes around Brexit campaign
A U.N. body called the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination asserts that politicians helped fuel a surge in racist hate crimes during and after Britain’s referendum campaign on whether to leave the European Union.
The panel said many prominent politicians share the blame for the outbreak of xenophobia and intimidation against ethnic minorities.
“Many politicians and prominent political figures not only failed to condemn it but also created and entrenched prejudices, thereby emboldening individuals to carry out acts of intimidation and hate towards ethnic or ethno-religious minority communities and people who are visibly different,” it said.
More than 3,000 allegations of hate crimes were made to British police – mainly regarding harassment and threats – in the week before and the week after the June 23 vote, up 42 percent from the rate in 2015.
To read the piece on this in The Guardian, please hit this link.