Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, has condemned the harassment and intimidation faced by Labour candidates and canvassers in pro-Palestinian areas across the UK.
This comes amid escalating tensions and reports of confrontations involving pro-Palestinian activists and Labour supporters.
Cooper expressed grave concern over the “intimidation, abuse, and harassment” that has marred the democratic process in constituencies such as Bethnal Green and Birmingham Ladywood.
She emphasized the need for respectful debate without resorting to threats or violence that could harm community relations.
“We cannot allow intimidation, abuse, and harassment of candidates or volunteers to undermine our democracy. People can debate and disagree in a serious way without disgraceful intimidation or threats that damage communities. Everybody must be able to take part in our democratic processes free from fear, intimidation, or abuse.”
Yvette Cooper
In Bethnal Green, east London, videos circulating on WhatsApp depict anti-Labour activists following and shouting at supporters of Labour candidate Rushanara Ali.
One particularly disturbing image shows a fake Labour leaflet portraying Ali with devil horns.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, supporters of Labour’s Shabana Mahmood reported incidents of harassment to the police twice over the weekend.
Tensions also flared in Stoke, where worshippers at the Stoke Central mosque demanded the resignation of Labour supporters from the mosque’s committee, threatening regular protests if their demands were not met.
The Labour Party is facing significant pressure in areas with substantial pro-Palestinian populations.
This stems from the party’s previous stance on the Gaza conflict, including its refusal to support a Scottish National Party motion calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Many Labour frontbenchers who abstained from the vote have since been targeted in their constituencies. The party has subsequently changed its position, passing a separate motion in the Commons calling for a ceasefire.
Recent comments by Labour leader Keir Starmer have exacerbated the situation.
Starmer singled out Bangladeshis as among those not being deported if their asylum claims fail due to processing backlogs, sparking outrage in areas like Bethnal Green and Bow, home to one of the UK’s largest Bangladeshi communities.
Rushanara Ali is now facing a formidable challenge from independent candidate Ajmal Masroor, who has the backing of controversial Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman and endorsement from George Galloway, who is running for re-election in Rochdale.
Masroor further inflamed tensions by falsely claiming in a video that Starmer had a policy of “fast-track deportation to Bangladesh.”
Labour volunteers in Bethnal Green reported being confronted and insulted, with some being called “Rushanara’s slave” and accused of being “a disgrace.”
Labour Urges Supporters To Press On
In response to the escalating hostility, the local Labour Party urged supporters to continue canvassing despite the vitriolic and misogynistic lies spread by some campaigners.
An email sent to supporters highlighted the constant presence of such falsehoods and warned that the situation would likely worsen as polling day approached.
Galloway, addressing a rally in east London, remarked on the potential consequences of Starmer’s comments.
He suggested that if similar remarks had been made about Pakistani people, there would have been serious repercussions.
Peter Ford, the deputy leader of Galloway’s party, defended Galloway’s comments, stating that Starmer’s inflammatory remarks were courting trouble.
In Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood faces a tough contest against Akhmed Yakoob, another candidate endorsed by Galloway.
Yakoob was previously criticized for sharing a doctored video that falsely showed a Labour canvasser using a racial slur.
Labour activists in Birmingham have reported verbal abuse while campaigning, and a teenage canvasser in a neighboring constituency was told she would “never wash off the blood of dead Gazan children.”
In Rochdale, activists from the group Hope Not Hate reported being followed and harassed by individuals in cars while campaigning against Galloway’s re-election.
Nick Lowles, the group’s chief executive, expressed alarm at the targeted abuse, particularly towards women and Muslim candidates.
“We have been alarmed at the targeting of, particularly, women candidates, and particularly Muslim women candidates. Several candidates have been subject to abusive and threatening behavior,” Lowles said.
As such, Labour faces the challenge of maintaining its democratic principles and ensuring the safety and dignity of its candidates and supporters.
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