At Newcastle City Council’s full meeting on Wednesday 4 September, Cllr Nick Kemp Labour Leader of the Council stepped up to highlight that violence must always been rejected through a powerful and poignant motion to council. As the worst riots I’ve seen in my lifetime spread across the country Newcastle’s communities overwhelmingly rallied and renounced the violence and rioting. When other similar cities were overwhelmed by abusive violent rioters smashing shops and community services, terrifying residents from Black and Minoritised Communities Newcastle responded with support and solidarity. Residents and anti-racist activists turned out in the thousands to protect a community under threat demonstrating we truly are a City of Sanctuary. As I reflect on these events and what now needs to happen to heal, Cllr Kemp’s speech is well worth a read.
Nick Kemp’s speech
I know all members in this chamber will join me in once again offering our condolences to the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, and all those impacted by the attack.
Here in Newcastle we lit our Civic Centre pink in their memory and I personally wrote to the leader of Sefton Council to offer our support.
The violent disorder that followed in Southport, and then in towns and cities across the country, was devastating to see. It showed the very worst of British society.
We saw misinformation and right-wing rhetoric lead to scenes of destruction, violence and racism that we have not seen on our streets for many years.
High profile figures have used social media to perpetuate a narrative fuelled by islamophobia and hatred with the sole purpose of creating division in our communities.
It is shameful for them to make any attempt to justify criminal damage, looting and hateful language by claiming it is in defence of those young girls killed in Southport.
I will always respect the right to peaceful protest. It is fundamental to our democracy and myself, and those of you elected to represent our residents, must face the scrutiny of our communities.
But nobody here today is infringing on any right to protest when we say looting shops, assaulting strangers, burning cars and attacking police officers is unacceptable.
It is not authoritarian to call for swift justice that sees those who have destroyed property and left vulnerable members of our community living in fear put behind bars.
The route to bring about change lies here in this chamber. It is democratic process and mature conversations that can ultimately improve society.
Some of the disorder that took place in light of the tragedy in Southport was on our city’s doorstep, with violent scenes in Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.
It was horrifying to see that many of those involved in violent behaviour were young people. Just last week an 11-year-old was arrested for their part in disorder in Middlesbrough.
More than 14 years of austerity have seen youth services cut to the bone. Our communities need investment, our young people need hope and support.
There are fantastic interventions taking place across Newcastle and as a council we have an important role to play in ensuring they continue.
I was pleased to see that we did not see violent demonstrations on our streets, despite being informed by police of two potential days of protest activity.
Neither of those events saw a repeat of violent disorder experienced elsewhere. Instead what we saw was a celebration of unity, inclusivity and the diversity that makes us so great.
People of every age, gender, race and religion came together to show what being a Geordie is all about. To demonstrate we are a City of Sanctuary where all are welcome.
On behalf of this council, I want to again put on record my thanks to Northumbria Police, partner organisations and our very own council officers involved in the response.
I had the privilege of seeing how much work went into preparing our city for any potential disorder and for ensuring that our communities were informed and engaged.
That swift and visible action in itself acted as a deterrent to anyone seeking to divide us. It was very clear that here in Newcastle, there will never be a home for hatred.
However, I know that the events of the last month have had a lasting impact on many in our community. For some of our residents, our country is not the same as it was a month ago.
I spent time in the West End ahead of the protest at The Beacon and know some residents were scared to leave their home because of the colour of their skin.
The devastating impact of a rising right wing rhetoric simply won’t heal overnight – as a city we all have a role to play in rebuilding community confidence.
During the week of protest activity in our city I convened a meeting of community leaders and was joined by leaders of all political parties represented in this chamber.
That cannot be a one off. It must be the start of a conversation and every member in this chamber has a role in ensuring every resident has a voice.
We remain in contact with those community leaders who attended the meeting and have already asked them how we can better involve them in becoming more resilient in the face of those seeking to divide us.
It has shown that we have solid foundations in how we engage with communities but it is more important than ever that we continue to put them at the heart of everything we do.
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