According to various sources, over a hundred incidents of racist abuse and hate crimes have been reported across the UK in the wake of the Brexit vote, with many of the alleged perpetrators “explicitly” citing their support for leaving the EU.
In one example, a video surfaced this morning allegedly showing a road rage incident in Hackney where a man yells into a car telling the driver to “Go back to your country,” reported the Independent.
In an effort to document such incidents, a Facebook album titled “Worrying Signs” was created by Sarah Childs with over a hundred images recounting incidents of racial and xenophobic abuse.
Reports of abuse outside the UK are making the rounds as well.
From the Independent:
Agata Brzezniak came to the UK on a scholarship from Poland when she was 17. She is now studying for a PhD in chemistry.
She has lived in the UK for eight years and told The Independent: “I have made the UK my home, it is where I have felt safe and appreciated.”
“[Like] many Polish people in the country I feared the EU referendum result would cause an increase in intolerance, discrimination and racism, but I didn’t think it would become so aggressive and be so immediate.”
A few hours after the announcement of the referendum, she says she was approached by a woman who asked her if she was Polish. When she said she was, she said the woman told her to be “scared” and that she must get a visa if she wanted to stay in “her” country.
“The vicious smile and the way she looked at me brought me to tears,” said Ms Brzezniak.
…
In Huntington, Cambridgeshire, there have been reports of signs saying “Leave the EU, no more Polish vermin” posted through the letter boxes of Polish families on the day of the referendum result.
Local media reported the cards were also distributed outside primary schools. One Polish student said he “felt really sad” when he discovered the sign carrying the xenophobic message.
Been standing here five minutes. Three different people have shouted "send them home". pic.twitter.com/cVvmYvC73o
— Ciaran Jenkins (@C4Ciaran) June 24, 2016
So less than 20 hrs after Brexit results announced, I have the pleasure of being called "a Paki c*nt in a suit" by a homeless man.
— Buddha (@TheBuddhaSmiled) June 24, 2016
This evening my daughter left work in Birmingham and saw group of lads corner a Muslim girl shouting "Get out, we voted leave". Awful times
— Heaven Crawley (@heavencrawley) June 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/KarenJBateson/status/746257329163747328
Italian person I was w/ last night was assaulted for asking how someone voted. Knocked out w/ a bottle, lost a tooth, stitches. I'm scared.
— Kirsty Allan (@kirstyrallan) June 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/ShulemStern/status/746287583462854656
“We have a lot of people asking us to just move on from the referendum result, but the people affected by these incidents can’t move on while this is happening,” Sarah Childs told the Independent.
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