Petition against racism arising from Covid-19. Say no to racism.
Covid-19 Anti-Racism Group (CARG) has started a petition, echoing a similar petition from Australia to address the increase in racism and hate crime towards British East Asians (Chinese, East and Southeast) arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The petition is addressed to our Prime Minister asking for a clear declaration that the British Government deplores racism and hate crime arising from Covid-19 against British East Asian people and international students in our country.
In the first 3 months of 2020, there were at least 267 offences against Chinese, East and Southeast Asians people compared with 375 hate crimes in the whole of 2019 and 360 in 2018. Besides these numbers recorded by the police and some incidences highlighted in the press, many go unreported, as racist incidences and hate crime against people of Chinese, East and Southeast Asian heritage in the UK continue to rise.
The impact of racism and hate crime goes beyond the victims, as a climate of fear is generated. The following are comments from people when they registered on the CARG website:
“Not only the world has turned upside down with Covid 19 but as a British Chinese citizen I’m also living in fear for my children and me because of the rising hate crimes …”.
“You would think we would live in a much more tolerant society in the year 2020. I'm very worried about my future, as a British Chinese living in the UK.”
The full Press Statement and list of co-signees
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