Hate Crimes Spike in the UK After Brexit Vote
Polish immigrants were one of the targets of hate-motivated crimes.
— -- Hate crimes rose 57 percent between last Thursday and Sunday in the U.K. compared to the same time frame last month, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council, an organization representing British police chiefs, as a populist rage toward immigrants has been unleashed in the wake of the so-called Brexit vote.
The final vote on Britain's EU referendum last week was split 51.9 percent "leave" to 48.1 percent "remain," and observers have noted that anger toward England's immigrant and Muslim populations played a significant role in the decision to break away from Europe.
British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed incidents of hate in a speech to Parliament today, saying his country "won't stand for hate crimes" and that they must be "stamped out."
Social media buzzed over the weekend with reports of incidents directed toward immigrants, including natural born English residents of South Asian descent.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), a group that represents 500 mosques, schools and associations, released a statement on its website claiming that "over 100 hate incidents" had taken place as a result of the Brexit vote.
Polish immigrants, who work many low wage jobs in the U.K., represent another group who has experienced intimidation in recent days.
Local papers reported on the distribution of signs declaring "No more Polish vermin" in Huntingdon, a town in Cambridgeshire, England. The Polish cultural center in Hammersmith, England, was also sprayed with anti-immigrant graffiti, according to police.
The Polish Embassy in the UK responded to the incidents with a statement decrying what it called "xenophobic abuse."
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the recent incidents of xenophobic abuse directed against the Polish community, directed against the Polish community and other U.K. residents of migrant heritage," it said.
The statement urged Polish nationals as well as witnesses to contact authorities in the event of abuse.
Related Stories
ABC News Live