Statement in Response to Far Right Violence
Baca is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of three young girls in Southport, and we stand in solidarity with Southport communities as they struggle to come to terms with this heartbreaking tragedy.
Following these attacks, the parents, families and friends of those attacked should have been given the space needed to mourn and heal. Instead, this atrocity has been manipulated by those seeking to spread division and violence. Weaponizing this dreadful tragedy and exploiting people’s grief is abhorrent.
The violence, hatred and divisiveness rooted in racism and anti-immigration sentiment, exacerbated by poverty and inequality, seen across the UK in recent weeks are inexcusable. The dehumanization and scapegoating of people seeking safety in the UK have fuelled racist violence, leaving immigrant communities and people of colour feeling terrified, unsafe, and unable to go about their daily lives.
We stand with all affected communities. Regardless of race, religion, or nationality, each of us is a unique individual whose dignity must be celebrated. At our core, we believe everyone fleeing war, persecution, trafficking and exploitation has the right to be safe, respected and free.
We call for an end to the dehumanization of refugees and the propagation of racism and xenophobia by those who scapegoat immigrants for daily life challenges.
We believe these events must catalyse us to dig deeper into standing for a society that recognises the dignity and humanity of people where, despite our differences, all can thrive.
The good neighbor looks beyond the external...and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.
Martin Luther King Jr