Birmingham, UK

Residents observe a rise in racist behaviour after Brexit

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Foreigners residing in Birmingham have revealed an increase in verbal racist attacks since June 21st the UK voted to leave the European Union. [tweet this]

These facts coincide with reports recently published that shows how race and religious hate crimes in Wales and England rose just one month after the referendum.

This information, released by the National Police Chiefs Council, shows an increase of 42% on these incidents in the last year: from 3,886 crimes logged in July 2015 to 5,468 in July this year.

Tussi Alonso, a Spanish student at the University of Birmingham, has been involved in these kinds of attacks.

“The other day I was taking money from a cash machine, and at the same time I was speaking by phone with a Spanish friend. And suddenly two guys behind me start to tell me `move on f***ing Spanish´. I pretended that I didn´t listen and I left. I was scared, I´ve never thought before to move here that people will behave like that”.

Another foreign resident, who has not wanted to reveal identity nor nationality, has admitted how he was public humiliated just one day before the referendum, when he was

Foreigners residing in Birmingham have revealed an increase in verbal racist attacks since June 21st the UK voted to leave the European Union.

These facts coincide with reports recently published that shows how race and religious hate crimes in Wales and England rose just one month after the referendum.

This information, released by the National Police Chiefs Council, shows an increase of 42% on these incidents in the last year: from 3,886 crimes logged in July 2015 to 5,468 in July this year.

Tussi Alonso, a Spanish student at the University of Birmingham, has been involved in these kinds of attacks.

“The other day I was taking money from a cash machine, and at the same time I was speaking by phone with a Spanish friend. And suddenly two guys behind me start to tell me `move on f***ing Spanish´. I pretended that I didn´t listen and I left. I was scared, I´ve never thought before to move here that people will behave like that.

Another foreign resident, who has not wanted to reveal identity nor nationality, has admitted how he was public humiliated just one day before the referendum, when he was working in a well-known clothes shop in the center.

After dealing with the refund of a dissatisfied customer,  her and other customers started to yell him inside the shop repeating “what is wrong with you? Don´t you understand us or what? You are in England, start to speak English properly!”

Other incidents mentioned include being insulted on the street or deny their entrance to a pub or bar after showing where they come from.

Some associations like Stand Up to Racism or Socialist Worker Party” have been protesting against this situation, claiming for political solutions.

A member of the Socialist Worker Party in Birmingham said:

“Tory politics are just creating a wave of racism in all the country and after the Referendum the situation is getting even worse, above all for refugees.”

Birmingham was one of the cities where residents voted to leave with a 50.4%, with the proportion voting to leave being even higher in some of the poorest areas of  the West Midlands, like Dudley, with a 68% .

In the case of suffering or being the witness of a hate attack, West Midlands Police count with an advice center , with all the procedure that you will need to follow if you want to report any of these aggressions.

Birmingham, Life, UK

The vintage clothes event “Weigh & Pay” come back to Birmingham

st-martins-weigh-and-pay
Weight and Pay event last year in Birmingham

All bargain lovers are invited another year to the famous Vintage Weigh & Pay event that will take place at of St Martin´s church in the Bull Ring on Saturday 8th October.

This shopping event, where you pay for the weight and not for an item, is the brainchild of two big Sheffield names, Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair and the local  vintage store Mooch Vintage.

The Vintage Weigh & Pay will offer all Brummies extremely cheap vintage clothing from the 1960s to the 1980s at only £15 per kilo ( and you can pay by cash or card). The doors of St Martin will open from 11 am to 5 PM, paying  in the entrance just £1,50. But for those that do not want to miss the chance to take as many clothes as they can there is an early bird entrance at 10 AM for £3 only.

 

UK

Over 1,000 people concentrated in the heart of Birmingham to protest against Tories politics

 

Birmingham has been the witness of one of the biggest national demonstration in the last period. Many organisations, headed by THE PEOPLES ASSAMBY, were calling yesterday to protest against the government´s policies in front of Birmingham city council in Victoria square, at the same time that it was taking place the Conservative Party Conference 2016 just half mile away from there.

The demonstration started, followed by a strong police presence, at 11.30, where activists, participants, students and members of dozen of groups took part in a massive speech in the middle of the square, focus on the Brexit, education, NHS, cuts, and austerity lead it to their policies and immigration affairs.

This event finished past midday in Millenium Point at Birmingham City University after that all the protesters marched through the city center chanting “TORIES OUT”.