Green councillor to speak at hate crime vigil in Brighton this evening
Green councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty is to speak at a hate crime vigil in Brighton this evening (Saturday 14 October).
Councillor Mac Cafferty, convenor of the Green group on Brighton and Hove City Council, is joining the Community Safety Forum at the Old Steine fountain at 7pm for the vigil.
The vigil is being held to show support to those who have been affected by hate crime as part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week, running from Saturday 14 October to Saturday 21 October.
The most recent published figures indicate a rise in incidences of all types of hate crime in Brighton and Hove.
A report to councillors said that this was partly down to better recording and partly because people had greater confidence in reporting hate crimes to the police.
Sussex Police recorded 65 homophobic hate crimes from April to June – a 32 per cent increase compared with the equivalent quarter last year.
The Greens said: “Figures show transphobic crimes, racially motivated and disability hate crimes have also risen, with a notable spike in racist incidents coinciding with the month following the E.U referendum vote to leave the European Union.”
Councillor Mac Cafferty said: “This Saturday I will stand in solidarity with all those affected by hate crime.
“No one should fear being attacked because of their sexuality, their religion, race, disability or gender identity.
“Sadly the struggle to end hate crime continues. Just last week a report to the council showed that although the number of racist, religiously motivated hate crimes and hate crimes against LGBT people is on the increase (and) the percentage solved by the police has dropped.
“There was only one finalised homophobic case to date.
“Our city must make our many diverse communities feel safe and welcome.
“The nature of crime is also changing – and we have to work to erase it on our streets and online.
“It has never been more important that we work together to stamp out hatred – and Greens will continue to raise awareness and call for serious action, better sentencing and support for people affected.
“If we are to support our diverse communities in the most effective ways and take the strongest stance against hate crimes, government has to resource hate crime prevention and locally we repeat our call to Sussex Police to effectively prosecute hate crime offenders.”
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The only hate in Brighton is directed at the greens!
The largest group subject to hate crime is women and girls, who are subject to daily misogynist abuse, sexist bullying, threats and violence. However, neither the government nor the police and local councils treat it as hate crime, nor monitor it as such. There’s just too much of it and it would take time, a great deal of money and real political will to stop it. And if politicians and the media looked at all of it together – rape and sexual assault, sexist homicide (including so-called ‘honour killing’), insults and hate speak, domestic violence, sexist bullying in schools and workplaces, stalking, FGM and forced marriage – well they might just have to do something about male behaviour and male privilege. Far easier to operate an hierarchy of ‘equalities’ in which women and girls bump along the bottom – and a liberal ‘feminist’ elite, when they think about women at all, focus on ‘glass ceilings’.