On 31st January the UK left the European Union. The UK is still in Europe and still abides by the UK Equality Act 2010, but it seems some individuals are finding this hard to understand. As members of the human race we should respect each other and celebrate our different backgrounds and cultures. Diversity makes our lives more exciting and enhances our experiences. However there seems to be an increase in people taking the opportunity of Brexit to give them free rein to preach hate and racial abuse.
We need to be aware of these crimes and to call people out who do this. We need to defend our international friends. In the past few weeks there have been some worrying incidents of hate crime in pubs and bars in Sheffield as a result of Brexit, which have affected students at Sheffield Hallam.
One Hallam student, who is originally from Spain, was talking to her mother in Spanish on the phone in a local bar, and was told by a bystander that she should only speak English. No one stepped in to support her, but thankfully she managed to defend herself. However she should not have had to.
A different Hallam student from Bulgaria was also in a pub drinking with friends from different countries. A man in the pub thought it was appropriate to say racist comments to the group. This was frowned upon by the bar staff but unfortunately they did not evict the individual.
Sheffield is a city of sanctuary with a history of welcoming new arrivals and being multicultural. This sort of behaviour is not what we expect to see or should accept. Sheffield has two universities with many international students and has won awards for the safest UK city, and this needs to continue. Everyone should feel safe and welcome in the UK. Brexit was not an excuse for right-wing propaganda to take hold in our culture. If you hear friends making comments or see someone being abused, please step in, take them away from the situation, show them that Sheffield still has caring people that welcome them.