Watch our Flashmob video to raise awareness of Hate Crime

Don’t be a bystander to hatred and prejudice – that’s the call to Greater Manchester people during Hate Crime Awareness Week (5-11 Feb).

Every person across the city-region is urged to sign up to the Greater Manchester Promise never to stand by if they see someone being abused or attacked because of who they are. The week highlights the issue of hate crime and encourages victims, and anyone who knows or suspects incidents of such crime, to report them.

A Flashmob kicked off at 1pm today (Wed 7 Feb) in the Mill Gate centre in Bury to the tune of The Stone Roses’s song “All for One” and ‘random’ dancers from the crowd joined the show to a crowd of more than 100 shoppers.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBv3QU9ZhrI

Tom Hoghton, community safety manager at Bury Council whose team led the way in corralling today’s Flashmob, said: “Following the Manchester Arena terror attack there was a rise in hate crime across Greater Manchester and Bury was no different. This increase demonstrated that now, more than ever, we need to challenge hate wherever we see it.

“Inspired by how fortunate we are in Bury to have such a diverse community, we approached Theatre Works who choreographed today’s dance and encouraged different organisations to take part, ensuring that dancers representing all strands of hate crime were involved: race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender, disability and alternative subculture. The dual aims of the campaign are to encourage victims to report hate crime and to reduce the number of incidents. We hope that by raising awareness of the issue and demonstrating a sense of unity among different communities we can encourage others to do the same.”

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Bury Council’s cabinet member for communities and safer neighbourhoods, also took part in today’s Flashmob. He said: “We saw a spike in the amount of hate crimes and incidents across Bury at certain times last year. After major tragedies here in Greater Manchester, in London and indeed across the world, it’s sadly not unusual to see an increase, but that did fall again quickly. Our voice is stronger if we speak together and, if people sign the promise, it sends out a clear message that we stand together. Getting the message out is essential, and it’s great to have joined forces with Theatre Works to do this in an unusual way that will hopefully stick in people’s minds.”

You can find out more about Hate Crime atwww.letsendhatecrime.com

Sign up to the promise:

People can sign up at letsendhatecrime.com/promise to the Promise, which reads:

Let’s End Hate Crime – the Greater Manchester Promise

I’m proud that Greater Manchester is a place where everyone is free to be themselves: where no one should face violence, abuse or hatred just because of who they are,
who they love, where they’re from, what they look like or what they believe.

If I see someone abused like this I won't stand by. I'll take a stand and:

support them

challenge their abuser, if it's safe; and

report it.

I make this promise to stand up for a Greater Manchester where we all look out for each other, we all stick up for each other, and we all stand together.

ENDS

Press release issued: 7 February 2018.

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