Gary Lineker Is Right To Defend Refugees
Leicestershire Stand up to Racism and Unite Against Fascism fully support local Leicester legend, Gary Lineker’s pro-refugee remarks in the face of vile government anti-refugee policies. We condemn the scapegoating of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in our towns and cities and are committed to mobilise against the Far Right.
The government is resorting to the use of racism and scapegoating, targeting minorities as a means of dividing communities and diverting attention from the cost-of-living crisis.
Some people are falling prey to these tactics and are being swayed by extremist far-right and fascist groups who are exploiting the situation. These groups are incorrectly placing the blame on refugees, from places like Ukraine, Syria and Afganistan who are fleeing war, famine and persecution in search of a better life.
Far Right extremists across Britain are targeting hotels which are housing asylum seekers in order to spread their racist message and to build in local areas. One far right group involved is the Patriotic Alternative (PA), founded in 2019 by Rothley born Mark Collett, an admirer of Adolf Hitler. Another key member is Sam Melia who has already been charged with ‘stirring race hate’ by counter terrorism police and alongside Collett was linked to the banned Nazi terror group National Action. This group leafletted people’s homes in Merseyside just before the riot in Knowsley Liverpool.
They pose as ‘local community’ members defending women and children in ‘their’ communities. In reality, they are a group of extremists travelling from town to town stirring up racial hatred for their own ends. Kegworth in Northwest Leicestershire is the latest village to be attacked by these hate mongers.
Yet, Conservative party deputy chairman, Lee Anderson, said he had ‘sympathy with people protesting outside hotels’ and Suella Braverman, advocate of the inhumane deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, stated that hotels providing refuge to asylum seekers were causing’ “understandable tensions” and that protestors targeting them were not “racist or bigoted”.
Far right thugs are literally echoing Government rhetoric on ‘Stop the boats’. We welcome recent Trade Unions, charities, faith, and community groups defending Asylum Seekers.
Weyman Bennett, joint conveynor of Stand Up To Racism says:
“We reject the politics of hate and welcome refugees. Rather than refugees being to blame, the truth is that over 200 child refugees have gone missing. Refugees are not to be blamed for the cost of living crisis – they do not own the gas companies. Electricity companies have profited by billions while refugees are destitute and fleeing war torn countries.”
As Clare Moseley, CEO of refugee rights charity Care4Calais, said:
“If Sunak wants to stop small boats he would give safe passage to refugees in Calais. Instead he is persecuting victims of war, torture and human rights abuses while stoking division in our communities with the use of inflammatory rhetoric.”
Leicester Stand Up to Racism 