It is up to all of us to fight #PostRefRacism. Do not let ignorance and hatred go unchallenged. Take your country back from the bigots.
— Richard GodwIN (@richardjgodwin) June 26, 2016
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron reached out Monday to reassure Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo about the safety of Polish migrants in the UK following a wave of reports of verbal abuse and racist intimidation against them.
Workers at the Polish Social and Cultural Association in Hammersmith, West London, arrived at work last week to find obscene graffiti on the building's front door.
Polish ctr in my Hammersmith neighbrhd smeared w graffiti overnight. First attack in its 50 yr history. Depressing pic.twitter.com/1cfmQzMCEd
— Zanny Minton Beddoes (@zannymb) June 26, 2016
Residents of the Polish community in Huntingdon, near Cambridge, found racist messages in their mailboxes and on doorsteps.
these cards have actually been put through letter boxes of Polish families in Huntingdon today. I could weep pic.twitter.com/P3maK1Vasf
— fencelt (@howgilb) June 25, 2016
The Polish embassy has expressed shock and concern, and it has urged migrants who experience or witness acts of xenophobia to contact authorities. Meanwhile, London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has asked Scotland Yard to be "extra vigilant."
#brexit vote has released a demon in the UK. The 1930s style of Nazi xenophobic racist behaviour #postbrexitracism pic.twitter.com/TQVFwwoGkN
— David Houghton (@rasadave) June 27, 2016
Islamic and other religious and ethnic groups also are reporting an alarming increase in verbal abuse since Britain last week voted to leave the European Union.
Some observers link that decision to racist and nationalist sentiment they say has been encouraged and exploited by politicians — particularly U.K. Independence Party head Nigel Farage and former London mayor Boris Johnson.
In the aftermath of #Brexit, neighbours we%27ve never spoken to before confront us with, "Do you even speak English?" #PostRefRacism
— Mini Huang (@minyingh) June 26, 2016
Pre-ref, one of my work colleagues says "if we don%27t vote out, we%27ll be getting raped on the streets" #PostRefRacism
— MiSH (@MiSHsWilli) June 26, 2016
My younger brother got called a Paki yesterday whilst he was in the Jewellery quarter, Birmingham. Is this what we should expect now?
— AssedBaig (@AssedBaig) June 25, 2016
British citizens came out in force on Twitter and in other social media outlets, however, to distance themselves from racist sentiment and denounce acts of anti-migrant intimidation.
Stop the rise of racist incidents in the UK now: https://t.co/6ez1yRD7Hy By me. Please RT #postbrexitracism pic.twitter.com/1Dh8bVo6B8
— Oliver Lindberg (@oliverlindberg) June 27, 2016
It is up to all of us to fight #PostRefRacism. Do not let ignorance and hatred go unchallenged. Take your country back from the bigots.
— Richard GodwIN (@richardjgodwin) June 26, 2016
Dear the Polish, Romanians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Pakistanis and Iranians living in this country... I%27m sorry. I%27m so sorry. #PostRefRacism
— Imi (@MyNameIsImi) June 26, 2016