Enter Shikari and Fontaines D.C. are among a string of artists to sign a statement from the organisation Love Music Hate Racism in response to the recent far-right protests and riots.
Unrest broke out in cities and towns across England this month in the wake of the the horrifying attack upon children attending a school holidays Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The trouble was sparked after false rumours were spread online that the individual responsible was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK in 2023 illegally by boat.
Love Music Hate Racism, whose aim is to "use the power of music to bring together individuals and communities in a beautiful resistance against bigotry and hatred", released the following statement, which was also signed by IDLES, Nova Twins, Frank Turner and others.
It reads: "Love Music Hate Racism condemns the shocking scenes of far-right violence since the tragic murder of three young children in Southport on 29 July.
"Racist and organised fascists rampaged through towns and cities across Britain attacking mosques, setting fire to asylum seeker hotels, and viciously assaulting Black and Brown people. The violence has been fueled by far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, willfully spreading false information by blaming a Muslim migrant for the Southport attack.
"The racist violence that quickly spread from Southport to cities including Sunderland, Rotherham, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Nottingham and Plymouth does not exist in a vacuum. Politicians and the media must share a section of the blame for fostering a climate where racist and Islamophobic discourse has become a feature of mainstream politics.
"The rhetoric of ‘Stop the Boats’, the demonising of asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation and the labelling of Muslim communities as ‘extremists’ have all played a role in normalising the hateful ideas of the far-right.
"Yet where there is racism, there is always resistance to it. A reported 25,000 people joined antifascist protests on 7 August in opposition to the far-right threatening to target immigration advice centres and solicitors across the country. At least 8,000 were on the streets in Walthamstow in London, 7,000 in Bristol and 2,000 in Brighton.
"Love Music Hate Racism believes more resistance is needed and that artists have a key role to play in bringing communities together in the current climate. Love Music Hate Racism was founded in 2002 in response to the growth of the Nazi British National Party (BNP). The campaign worked with hundreds of musicians who used their platforms to successfully challenge the fascist threat of the BNP following the proud tradition of Rock Against Racism. Music has the power to spread hope and unite communities against the hatred and division bred by the far-right.
"It is now more important than ever that music is at the heart of a united cultural movement which will ward off the threat of the far-right and strengthen communities damaged by the corrosive effects of racism."
Love Music Hate Racism is planning an event in central London in early September, along with coordinated events across the UK, to unite communities.
