Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary and President of Stand Up to Racism, has called for an end to negative portrayal of immigrants.

Diane told a mass meeting in Hackney “ It’s time people stopped talking about immigration as a negative thing. I am against the anti-immigrant narrative which is a cover for racism. It’s time we spoke up for the great contribution immigrants have made about society. We need to speak up for the migrant community.”

The meeting, organised by Hackney Stand Up to Racism, brought together over 150 local activists to discuss how we can confront the rise in racism. Speakers included representatives of the Green Party, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Rotherham 12 campaign, UNISON, and local NHS workers.

There were delegations at the meeting from refugees who have settled in the area, local schoolchildren, hospital workers, Labour Party members, the Jewish community and many others.

After the past two weeks, which have included the election of Trump in the US and the rise of Marine Le Pen in the opinion polls in France, many at the meeting expressed how important it was for local communities to come together to stand up to racism.

On Trump, Diane said “He will pull the centre of gravity on race and immigration to the right. Our job is to fight that pressure to the right on racism.” The meeting resolved to take action across Hackney to challenge racism in the coming months, and to mobilise for the Stand Up to Racism Trade Union conference and the Stand Up to Racism national demonstration on 18 March 2017. 

Weyman Bennett, Stand Up to Racism co-convenor, rounded off the meeting saying “We are all organisers. We are all leaders. We have to build a bigger Stand Up to Racism to break the racists. We can do that providing we move now. Our watchwords must be ‘Unity in Action’ to shape the future.”

 

Go to Hackney Stand Up to Racism facebook page for details about how to get involved in Hackney. Their next organising meeting is at 7.00pm on Monday 5 December 2016 at the DayMer Centre, Former Library, 16 Howard Road N16 8PU.