‘No Hate Here’ success hailed by Mayor of Mid and East Antrim

The ‘No Hate Here’ campaign was highlighted by the Mayor, Councillor Peter Johnston, as council supported this year’s National Hate Crime Awareness Week (October 10 to 17).

Cllr Peter Johnston said: “Intolerance, prejudice and discrimination of any nature have no place in our society. I am delighted to live in a borough that has embraced diversity and benefited greatly from the rich variety of cultures that can found throughout our community.

“National Hate Crime Awareness Week is an opportunity to celebrate everyone who calls this borough home and learn more about what we can do to tackle hate crimes and bring them to an end.”

In 2018 the council launched the No Hate Here programme in conjunction with the PSNI, PCSP and Inter-Ethnic Forum. It operates in Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus and encourages local business and organisations to assist those who had been victims of a hate crime, signpost them to support services and encourage reporting.

This has been achieved through the development of a bespoke resource pack which provides information on practical steps on how to eradicate hate crime and sources to help those who have been impacted by it.

Cllr Johnston continued: “The No Hate Here campaign has been incredibly successful and has made huge steps forward in ensuring our borough is a place where we can all live, work and play in safety and know that residents and visitors can do the same.

“It is up to us, as a community, to come together and send out the message loud and clear that there is no place for hate crime or discrimination in Mid and East Antrim.

“I would urge anyone who is a victim of a hate crime or who has witnessed a hate crime incident to please report it to the authorities without hesitation.”

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