University, Mayor and key police staff reassure Bristolian Muslims in response to worldwide terror attacks

By Patrick Sullivan, Film & TV Editor

After the tragic deaths in Christchurch and Utrecht, and a stabbing in Surrey, the Mayor of Bristol, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Chief Constable released a joint statement reaffirming their position against all forms of extremism.

On 18 March, a large crowd of University of Bristol students, staff and local residents were joined by Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, at a vigil to honour the 50 known deaths of the Christchurch attacks.

Earlier that day, three people were killed in a tram shooting in Dutch city Utrecht.

Both were terrorist incidents, and a non-fatal stabbing in Surrey on 16 March has also been alleged to have racially aggravated motives.

In a series of attacks on 21 March, five Birmingham mosques had windows smashed and two arrests were made.

All of the above led to Marvin Rees making a joint statement with Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Sue Mountstevens and Chief Constable (CC) Andy Marsh on 21 March.

CC Marsh said: ‘I want to reassure our communities that we have not received any intelligence to suggest that there is an increased risk of a terrorist incident happening in our area but as always I’d urge people to remain alert but not alarmed.

‘We’ll continue to work with local groups to tackle all forms of extremism and the toxic ideology which has such a corrosive impact on our communities. We cannot and will not let terrorism win.’

PCC Mountstevens said: ‘No one deserves to be targeted because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. I urge anyone who witnesses a hate crime to report it and help us tackle it together. We will not be broken by hate.’

Meanwhile, Marvin Rees said: ‘I want to reassure all communities in Bristol that we will continue to work together with our partners to make our city a place where all are welcome and safe.’

On 29 March, a University of Bristol spokesperson said: ‘The thoughts of all at the University are with the people of Christchurch and in particular the city’s Muslim community following the recent atrocity. We stand united with colleagues from across the city in our shared beliefs of freedom, democracy and the right of communities to live together in peace.’

"We stand united with colleagues from across the city in our shared beliefs of freedom, democracy and the right of communities to live together in peace."
University of Bristol statement

Earlier in the week, an event due to be hosted by the University of Bristol Free Speech Society was cancelled by Bristol SU following security concerns after an open letter was signed by over 400 students and student leaders from across the UK. The letter said the event was 'deeply troubling' and 'insensitive' in light of the Christchurch attack.

Since these statements have been made, there have been reports of a ‘racially aggravated’ incident in Easton on 27 March, during which a man was threatened with a metal bar near Shah Jalal Mosque.

The public can report any suspicious behaviour or activity to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321, or in an emergency the public should always call 999.

A hate crime can range from verbal abuse to physical attacks. Anyone can be a victim of hate crime. To report a hate crime please call Avon and Somerset Police on 101 or visit their website. You can also report through the True Vision website.

Featured Image: Epigram / Leah Martindale

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