UK as a whole sees increase in racist attacks and abuse in aftermath of UK vote to leave the EU
POLICE SCOTLAND has claimed that it has not witnessed any increase in the reportage of hate crimes in Scotland in the aftermath of the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
The revelations come in the wake of a spike in racist incidents in the UK in the aftermath of the country’s vote to leave the European Union on 23 June.
Speaking to CommonSpace, Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Barry McEwan said: “At this time we have not witnessed any increase in the level of reports being received.
“However we acknowledge that often these incidents go unreported.
“I would encourage any person who has been the victim of, or witness to, any type of hate incident to report it to Police Scotland.”
However, there is some anecdotal evidence of increased activity by far right activists in Scotland.
Just had to remove a Neo-Nazi sticker from an anti-fascist war memorial by the Clyde. National Action are disgusting pic.twitter.com/BTkQnab44L
— Liam (@parcelorogues) 26 June 2016
The picture contrasts with the rest of the UK which has seen a sharp increase in hate crime since the UK voted to leave the UK.
The English National Police Chiefs’ Council announced that there had been an increase in reports of hate crime, with the police funded website True Vision receiving 85 reports of incidents between Thursday 23 June and Sunday 26 June, up from 54 reports for the same period a month previously.
Incidents have included the scrawling of anti-immigrant graffiti on a Polish community centre in Hammersmith, racial abuse and threats of violence meted out on public transport and an arson attack.
Incidents have included the scrawling of anti-immigrant graffiti on a Polish community centre in Hammersmith, racial abuse and threats of violence meted out on public transport and an arson attack.
Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to give police the extra support and funding they need to deal with the surge in incident.
Many commentators have blamed the atmosphere of the referendum campaign and its fixation on reducing immigration for the rise in incidents.
International human rights group Amnesty International has launched a campaign against racism in the UK in response.
Picture courtesy of Alisdare Hickson
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