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Operation Black Vote (OBV) is proud to stand alongside more than 30 civil society organisations in signing a powerful letter to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, declaring what our communities already know: Britain is facing a national emergency in racist violence.
Across the UK, from Leicester to London, Dundee to Rotherham, families are living in fear.
We have seen horrific attacks: the killing of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in Leicester after months of racist harassment, the murder of Zahwa Salah Mukhtar in East London, the killing of Dr Fortune Gomo in Dundee, and the attempted firebombing of an asylum-seeker hotel in Rotherham. These are not isolated tragedies.
They are part of a disturbing national pattern of targeted racist violence and intimidation.
Chair of OBV David Weaver said: “Racist violence is not just rising — it is being normalised. Black, Asian, and migrant families are living in fear, while politicians offer warm words but no meaningful action. This is why OBV stands with civil society in declaring a national emergency. Enough is enough: our communities have the right to live and walk in safety, and we will hold this government to account until that is guaranteed.”
The evidence is overwhelming.
The Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS), the most comprehensive study in 25 years, found that more than a third of people from ethnic and religious minority groups in Britain have experienced racist assault, with high levels of discrimination in education, housing, employment, and policing.
On top of this, official data shows more than 15,000 schoolchildren were suspended last year for racist behaviour—an average of 80 racist incidents every single school day. Racism is not just poisoning our streets; it is seeping into our classrooms.
Yet, despite acknowledging the problem, government action has been woefully inadequate. Ministers talk tough but have done little to tackle the systemic causes of violent racism or to protect vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, inflammatory rhetoric from across the political spectrum has created a climate where perpetrators feel emboldened.
That is why OBV supports this coalition letter and its concrete proposals:
A National Critical Incident Protocol to ensure racist attacks are treated with the seriousness they demand.
A National Reporting and Early Warning Platform to spot threats before they escalate into violence.
Independent Civil Society Oversight to hold government and police accountable.
For OBV, the message is simple.
Black, Asian, and assumed migrant communities cannot wait. Families are terrified. Neighbourhoods are on edge. Unless urgent action is taken, more lives will be lost.
OBV will continue to work with allies in the Alliance for Police Accountability and across civil society to demand stronger protections, greater accountability, and real leadership in this moment of crisis. Because every citizen deserves to live, work, and walk the streets of Britain in peace and safety.
Read the full letter below:
