Call for new laws to fight rising tide of race attacks

Date: 10/01/02

By Martin Banks

AN MEP has called for new laws to stamp out a 'rising tide' of racism across member states.

Glyn Ford's call follows a new report that shows that in 2001 there was a racial attack every 90 seconds across the EU.

The annual report of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) singles out France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK for showing increases in racial violence.

British Socialist Ford says the Vienna-based organisation's report, called 'Diversity and Equality for Europe', highlights the need for new laws to combat race crime.

'There is a rising tide of racism and race-related violence across the Union. I will be calling on the European Commission to introduce legislation as a matter of urgency,' he said.

The MEP is particularly concerned about inconsistency in race-related laws across the Union. For example, Holocaust denial is illegal in Germany but not in Denmark.

In addition, he is calling for legislation to tackle:

• race-hate music;
• racism on the internet and computer games
• delays in the extradition of people engaged in racist activity.

He cites the British band, No Remorse, whose recent CD 'celebrates' the petrol-bombing of Turkish and Vietnamese refugees at a hostel in Rostock, Germany, as an example of how young people are being subjected to rate-hate messages.

'We have to do something too about racial computer games. One, called 'Concentration Camp Manager', where you are invited to kill Jews and blacks on-screen, is particularly despicable.'

Ford also points to the rise of extreme right-wing parties in Denmark, Italy and Austria, where they are winning increasing influence as members of coalition governments.

In its report, EUMC praises the EU for its efforts during 2001 to combat racism, but concludes: 'We call on member states to continue examining ways to make anti-discrimination laws more effective.

MEP Glyn Ford has called for new laws to stamp out a 'rising tide' of racism across Member States, following a report issued by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC).

http://fra.europa.eu/ http://fra.europa.eu/

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