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Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney, Cllr Caroline Selman, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Policy and the Voluntary Sector, and Cllr Sade Etti, Hackney's No Place for Hate Champion, write in support of National Hate Crime Awareness Week:

“We are proud to be representatives of our inclusive, diverse and welcoming borough, and we are committed to ensuring that Hackney is no place for hate. 

“Our inclusive values have shone through in our borough’s response to the coronavirus, with thousands of residents rallying together to support the most vulnerable in our communities during this incredibly difficult time. We will never allow this Hackney spirit to be eroded by hatred and discrimination. 

“We are committed to celebrating the rich diversity in our borough. Earlier this month, we launched our Black History Season programme with a two-month long jam-packed schedule of online and socially-distanced events, alongside publishing a new map which charts Hackney’s rich history of African and Caribbean culture. We look forward to seeing more people learn about how Hackney’s diversity has made our borough the inclusive, strong and welcoming place that it is today. 

“However, celebrating our diversity is of course not limited to one or two months - it is an all-year-round affair. We are continuing to celebrate the vital contribution that the Windrush Generation has made to our borough through initiatives such as our award-winning Windrush Generations Festival and the commissioning of the first permanent public sculptures in the UK to honour and celebrate the Windrush Generation. 

“This year, we also passed our Black Lives Matter motion which commits us to being an anti-racist borough and raised the inclusive Pride flag for the first time in recognition of the diversity and intersectionality in our borough’s LGBTQ+ community. Whilst we were unable to come together in person this year for our Hackney Pride 365 celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic, we supported the nationwide online programme Pride Inside - which was organised by Amnesty International, UK Black Pride, Stonewall, ParaPride and featured gigs, comedy shows, panel discussions and more. We also stand against all forms of racism and faith discrimination including, but not limited to, anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia. 

“Last year, we launched our official strategy for tackling hate crime, which details our key commitments for the next four years to ensure that Hackney is no place for hate, including building our understanding of hate crime, increasing the reporting of hate crime, and building community resilience against extremist beliefs and attitudes.

“However, the international increase in hate crimes towards the Chinese and East Asian community and the Jewish community during the pandemic show us that more needs to be done, not just during the coronavirus crisis but for many years to come. 

“We have been working closely with the police’s hate crime officer to support Hackney Chinese Community Services to create and share information on reporting hate crime in six different languages, and we will continue working closely with them and others within the borough to ensure that this key part of Hackney’s diverse community is offered all the support that they need. 

“If you’ve experienced or witnessed a hate crime, you may feel afraid to report, or believe that there’s nothing you can do about it - but there’s always something you can do. 

“Every hate crime reported helps us to build evidence of issues in our local area and supports the Police to bring justice towards those who commit hate crimes. No matter how small you think an incident is, please report it, and become part of the movement to make Hackney no place for hate. 

“Hate crimes are criminal offences, and you do not have to be afraid or suffer in silence. There are also a range of services offering free, confidential support and advice to those who’ve experienced or witnessed hate crimes. 

“Now more than ever, it’s important that we come together to send the clear message that Hackney is no place for hate. We must continue working together to ensure that our shared values of inclusivity and respect remain at the centre of our borough’s spirit throughout the pandemic and beyond.”

If you’ve been affected by hate crime, you can: 

• Report it to the police by calling 999 in an emergency, and 101 in other situations. 
• If you do not wish to contact the Police, you can contact Stop Hate UK on 0800 138 1625 for free, confidential advice and support. 
• Report offensive graffiti to the Council
• Contact North London Victim Support for free local support on 0808 186 9291 (8am-8pm Monday to Friday) or 0808 1689 111 at all other times. You can also request support online. 
• Access free, confidential and independent victim support through London Victim and Witness Service on 0808 168 9291 
• Access a free Restorative Justice Service with Calm Mediation by telephone on freephone 0300 102 3031 or email at restorative.justice@calmmediation.org 
• Our Young Hackney website provides a range of resources for young people who want to talk to someone confidentially about a range of issues
• You can also help make Hackney no place for hate by sharing our campaign’s free, downloadable resources on your social channels: bit.ly/hackney-no-place-for-hate
• You can also share any photos of local activities that you’re running or participating in for National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2020. Please use the hashtags #NoPlaceForHate and #NHCAW2020 wherever possible.