Local politicians have banded together to oppose the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK and the campaign to free far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Tottenham MP David Lammy and 28 Haringey councillors have signed a statement from Haringey Stand up to Racism pledging to take on the “racist right”, which they claim is threatening to make a comeback.
President Trump, who is due to visit the UK on July 13, has come under fire over his government’s controversial policies towards immigrants.
Pictures of children apparently being detained in cages in US immigration centres led to widespread condemnation of the US government’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families.
The president subsequently overturned the policy and pledged to keep immigrant children with their parents.
He has also been criticised for his equivocal attitude to far-right protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Khaled Moyeed, black and minority ethnic officer for Tottenham Labour Party, said: “Our government should not be rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump.
“We are taking to the streets on July 13 to show our ‘zero tolerance’ of Trump’s racist policies. Trump is not welcome here.”
The politicians will also protest against a planned march through London by Tommy Robinson supporters on July 14.
A protest to ‘free Tommy Robinson’ on June 9 attracted thousands of supporters to central London – some of whom are reported to have made Nazi salutes.
The statement from Haringey Stand up to Racism claims it is the first serious attempt since the collapse of the English Defence League to develop a far-right street movement and give it a political form.
Mr Robinson was given a 13-month jail term in May for contempt of court after he streamed a Facebook live video outside Leeds Crown Court.
Mr Moyeed added: “These are our streets and fascists have no place here.”
Prime Minister Theresa May criticised the US government’s detention of immigrant families with children in parliament last week (June 20).
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, she called the pictures of children apparently held in cages “deeply disturbing”.
But she added: “We have a special, long-standing and enduring relationship with the United States and there will rightly be a range of issues that I will be discussing with President Trump about our shared interests.
“It is important that we make sure that when we welcome and see the president of the United States here in the United Kingdom we are able to have those discussions, which mean that when we disagree with what they are doing we say so.”
Chris Joannides, chairman of Tottenham Conservative Association, said: “I have no problem with Donald Trump’s visit to the UK. He is, after all, the president of the US – our closest ally in wartime and peacetime alike.
“While he is undoubtedly controversial, he has thus far scored a major diplomatic success in recent weeks in reducing tension and the possibility of nuclear war in Korea, for which he has been commended by the international community and we all should be pleased.
“I therefore sincerely hope that his visit will go off without incident.”
The letter’s signatories are as follows:
David Lammy Tottenham MP
Cllr Adam Jogee
Cllr Anne Stennett
Cllr Dana Carlin
Cllr Daniel Stone
Cllr Elin Weston
Cllr Emine Ibrahim
Cllr Gideon Bull
Cllr Ishmael Osamor
Cllr Isidoros Diakides
Cllr James Chiriyankandath
Cllr Joseph Ejiofor
Cllr Khaled Moyeed
Cllr Kirsten Hearn
Cllr Lucia das Neves
Cllr Mahir Demir
Cllr Makbule Gunes
Cllr Matt White
Cllr Mike Hakata
Cllr Patrick Berryman
Cllr Peray Ahmet
Cllr Peter Mitchell
Cllr Preston Tabois
Cllr Ruth Gordon
Cllr Sarah James
Cllr Sarah Williams
Cllr Sheila Peacock
Cllr Yvonne Say
Cllr Zena Brabazon
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