ALT We condemn the murderous violence against girls in Southport & mourn the lives lost & harmed by VAWG. We are further alarmed by the instrumentalisation of that violence by racists & fascists on the streets & in the corridors of power. Over the weekend racists set fire to hotels housing vulnerable migrants & since then, there have been reports on plans to attack other hotels & immigration advice centres over the next few days. These racist riots follow a pattern honed by white supremacists who have weaponised VAWG to whip up hatred against racially minoritised communities. These supremacist tactics are creating a palpable sense of fear, particularly among BME women & children with the least state protections. We can't stay silent as we watch w/ alarm the terrifying racist violence sweeping across the country. We are witnessing xenophobic, racist, anti-migrant & anti-Muslim attacks reminiscent of the National Front's attacks on African, Caribbean and Asian communities in the 70s and 80s.

ALT These supremacist tactics have been exacerbated & reinforced by the actions of successive govts, politicians & media pandering to far-right, anti-migrant sentiment while simultaneously failing to challenge institutionally racist practices in the fabric of the state’s machinery. The mainstreaming of right wing demands & a failure to systematically counter violence and discrimination towards racially minoritised communities has resulted in some of the most regressive immigration policies that fall short of internationally recognised human rights standards for migrants & refugees. It is imperative that this new Labour government puts forward a positive narrative that rehumanises & values asylum seekers & migration instead of using these events to step up draconian immigration policies. Black women’s groups like SBS were forged in a politics of resistance to both racist & patriarchal violence on the streets, in our homes and communities, & by the state. Here to stay, here to fight!