Institute for Race Relations promotional photograph. The IRR has documented an increase in racial violence inside the UK.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Race equality campaigners are angry after a Devon city centre pub changed its name to honour the 16th Century slave trader John Hawkins.
The Breton Arms has been renamed Hawkins Meeting House, angering the Racial Equality Council based nearby.
Hawkins was a 16th Century shipbuilder, merchant, pirate and slave trader.
The pub's owner says she is celebrating the life of the man who helped his fellow Plymothian Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada.
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SIR JOHN HAWKINS
Born Plymouth, 1535
Famed for voyages to West Africa and South America
Trades slaves in the Caribbean in 1562
Helped fight the Spanish Armada in 1588
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But Sue Stratton from the Racial Equality Council (REC) said she does not believe he is someone of whom Plymouth should be proud.
"It's very unfortunate that the pub has chosen to celebrate someone who had a history of being very involved with the transatlantic slave trade and that will cause offence to anyone who understands the horrors of slavery," she said.
The pub's new owner Laura Ashenford said she was unaware that the REC was based across the road or that the organisation had been involved in celebrating the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade.
"This is going far too far," she said.
"If you are going to look at John Hawkins then you must also look at every single one of the historical figures who up until 200 years ago was involved in the slave trade."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//1/hi/england/devon/7315998.stm
Published: 2008/03/27 09:04:13 GMT
Racist thugs attacked man in home
A man was followed into his home and beaten by racist thugs.
The 30-year-old Afro-Carribean man told police he was followed along Chichester Road in North End, Portsmouth, by two men who were shouting racist abuse.
He turned into Emsworth Road and went to go into his own house.But as he tried to close the door the two men forced their way inside and the victim was forced to fight them off.
The man pulled out his mobile phone and threatened to call police. It was then the two men fled.
The attack took place between 2am and 3.10am on Sunday, March 16 but police have only now asked for the public's help.
PC John Upsher, from Fratton police station, said: 'This was anunprovoked racially aggravated attack, and the victim was left shaken by the experience.
'I urge anyone with any information to come forward and assist police in identifying the offenders.
'Perhaps someone has seen the men in the area at the time or heard a commotion. I would ask that anyone with any relevant information contacts police.'
The first attacker is described as white, aged 22 to 30, 5ft 10-11ins tall, of slim build with short dark shaved hair.
He was wearing a white shirt with a red square pattern all over it and black trousers.
The second man was white, aged 22 to 30, about 5ft 7in tall and of a stocky build with short shaved fair hair.
He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers.
Anyone with any information should contact PC John Upsher at Fratton Police Station on 0845 045 45 45 or (01962) 841534, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The full article contains 293 words and appears in NS-City newspaper.
Family's hell at the hands of racist yobs
Years of racist abuse
By Richard Heath
A SHEFFIELD mum says she has suffered years of sickening racist abuse for living with an Asian man.
Nicola Clark says her life is being destroyed by racist yobs who have subjected her and her 33-year-old partner Aftab Hussain to a spate of attacks since they and their children moved on to the Arbourthorne estate two years ago.
The mum-of-two said the attacks culminated when a teenager pelted her with a rasher of bacon - an assault on the Muslim custom of not eating pork.
Nicola said: "They have destroyed my life - I cry every night because I am so worried about our kids' safety.
"I would happily move out of my flat and into a shed in the middle of nowhere if it meant we could be safe.
"We have suffered so much abuse over the last two years - they have even thrown bacon at me because they know Muslims don't eat pork. I'm not Muslim but I know it was a dig at my partner. It's absolutely awful."
Nicola, of Errington Avenue, said the problems began when she was pregnant with her first boy, Joseph, now aged two.
She said yobs chased her partner up the street with an iron bar, and later threw a beer can at them.
The 32-year-old claims the gang of teenagers, believed to be aged from about 13 to 17, have repeatedly hurled racist abuse at them and warned them to leave the estate.
Nicola, who last year gave birth to her second child, Arshad, claims she has also been forced to scrap three cars over the last 18 months after they were vandalised by the yobs.
"I have tried talking to them but it hasn't done any good," said Nicola. "I just want them to stop so we can get our lives back together." Acting inspector Ian Stubbs, of the Manor and Arbourthorne Safer Neighbourhood Team, said he is aware of four incidents being reported during the last 13 months, but only one of them was racially motivated.
He added: "We are taking this matter very seriously. This will be robustly investigated and we are pursuing all possible lines of inquiry to identify the persons responsible.
"We will be making further contact with the complainants to discuss any concerns they have regarding racial abuse and will progress this accordingly."
Anyone with information should contact the Manor and Arbourthorne Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0114 296 3993.
Asian men are targeted in race attack
TWO Asian men have been assaulted and abused in a city-centre race attack.
Police are hunting two men and a woman who they believe carried out the attack, which happened in the early hours of Sunday.
The two Asian men, aged 30 and 31, were sitting at a bus stop by Leopold Place when they were approached by the culprits at around 3am.
The attackers hurled racist abuse at them before attacking them, and making off west along London Road.
The men were taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to have their injuries treated.
All three suspects were described as white and between 25 and 30 years old, while both men were just under 6ft tall. The first had short ginger hair, shaved at the sides and spiky on top and was wearing a blue and white striped jumper.
The second man had short black hair, and was wearing a pink shirt. The woman had a chubby build, long brown hair, and was wearing a white jacket and dress.
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