03/10/24
Mayor of London boosts funding to counter hate crimes
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a further £875,000 investment for grassroots community projects to tackle hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism in the capital.
The funding aims to empower grassroot groups across London to bring communities together and counter steep rises in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes1 and the growth of far-right narratives online over the past year.
The action comes amid calls for unity from the Mayor who continues to work closely with the police and community leaders to ensure everyone in the capital feels safe and is safe amid the appalling escalation in the conflict in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the wider region.
It comes as new Home Office figures show record-breaking numbers of young people aged below 17 are being arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.
Khan said: “We know that an escalation in conflict in the Middle East often leads to an increase in hate crime here in London. With the appalling further escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the region, I’m appealing to Londoners to continue to look out for their friends and neighbours whatever their faith and backgrounds and stand united against all forms of hate.
“We have seen an abhorrent and completely unacceptable rise in hate crime over the last year – particularly antisemitism and Islamophobia which has profoundly impacted our Jewish and Muslim communities in London. I’m determined to continue to work in partnership with community, faith and police leaders to ensure everyone in the capital feels safe and is safe.
“Hate crime comes in many forms and I’m determined to tackle it head on by investing in grassroots projects which empower our communities to stand up to hate and intolerance where they are, so that we can stop the spread of hateful narratives, reject extremist ideologies and do more to safeguard vulnerable young Londoners from radicalisation and misinformation online.
“At a time of rising tension and online hate, this scheme will continue to build bridges across communities, embrace what we have in common and help ensure Londoners of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome, safe and can thrive.”
The funding will support 20 groups including The Anne Frank Trust UK to deliver workshops that challenge anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate; Stand Up! - an interfaith project which brings Jewish and Muslim educators into the classroom to facilitate informal conversations with young people and empower them to act against racism and discrimination with a specific focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia; and EXIT Hate UK which works with young people aged 14-18 to help them understand the dangers posed by extreme right-wing ideologies.
The Mayor’s Shared Endeavour Fund is working to empower Londoners of all ages to challenge hateful views in their communities, better protect those vulnerable to radicalisation and stop the spread of growing hateful ideologies including the far-right. Since the grassroots fund was launched in 2020, £4million has been invested in 95 completed projects which has included delivery in each London borough with more than 140,000 Londoners having benefited.
A further 20 projects will be delivered over the next 6 months with more than 50,000 Londoners expected to benefit as a result of the Mayor’s latest investment which will deliver workshops, educational activities and interfaith community programmes.
The latest action is part of a package of measures by the Mayor to tackle rising hate crime and misinformation and is being delivered alongside continued work with the Met Police and community leaders to ensure all of London’s communities feel safe and are safe.
Met assistant commissioner, Matt Twist, said: “Nobody should feel unsafe or in fear going about their lives in this city, certainly not on the basis of their race or religion.
“Since October last year we have seen a really concerning rise in hate crime with both antisemitic and Islamophobic offences increasing significantly. For the past year we have had a dedicated policing operation tackling hate crime in communities, responding to significant protest, countering extremism and terrorism, and working to provide reassurance particularly in parts of London with significant Jewish and Muslim populations.
“As the situation in the Middle East becomes less certain once again, we know that fears and tensions will rise here at home too. Our work, which is underpinned by engagement with community representatives and with our key partners, will continue. Together, we are determined to demonstrate that there will be no tolerance for hate crime in London.”
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