Multi-faith vigil after attack on church bus
MULTI-FAITH VIGIL HELD AFTER MINIBUS DAUBED WITH ‘ALL LIVES MATTER’ GRAFFITI
A MULTI-FAITH vigil was held outside a church where a minibus was smashed up and daubed with graffiti.
The words ‘All Lives Matter’ were sprayed across the vehicle owned by the United Church of God Assemblies, which has been based in Longsight for over 50 years, and it had its tyres slashed and windows smashed on Wednesday.
Manchester council’s neighbourhoods chief Coun Rabnawaz Akbar said those responsible were ‘racist vandals’ and described the incident outside the church, whose congregation he said are ‘predominantly black,’ as a ‘deliberate attack to spread hate and divide communities.’
Police have confirmed they are treating it as a racially-aggravated offence.
Locals and anti-racism campaigners yesterday joined members of the church’s congregation and faith leaders at a special event outside the church on Rushford Street as they sent the message that ‘racists won’t win.’
It was organised by community arts teacher Emma Martin, 47, who works with pupils at the neighbouring Stanley Grove Primary School along with Stand Up to Racism Manchester.
Emma said: “It was about turning what was a real negative into a positive.
“We saw this as an attack on what is an important part of our community.
“The church are great with us, they often let us use their grounds for events and things like that. So seeing the bus being towed away this week was really upsetting and we wanted to do something to stand together and support them. By coming together as a diverse community and celebrating we’re making sure people don’t feel confident doing things like this again and showing that racism won’t be tolerated here. We won’t let them in.”
Around 150 people attended the socially-distanced event in the church grounds where there was music and arts in what was described as a celebration of the area’s diverse community.
Local children wrote messages of support to be tied onto the railings outside the building.
It was hosted by member of the church and former Stanley Grove pupil, Tamera Tau, 15.
There were speeches from the church’s pastor Denise Smith; interfaith minister and peace ambassador Reverend Rev Fujo Malaika; Rabbi Warren Elf; Ameen Hadi, chair of the North West Unison Black Members group; local MP Afzal Khan; and Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, among others.
Coun Akbar said: “It is an outrage that a black church minibus was vandalised with racist slogans.”
He added: “This was a deliberate attack to spread hate and divide communities but we will not allow them to succeed.”
The church said in a statement: “Our church is a multi-racial church which welcomes everyone regardless of their race, and provides a place of prayer and worship, where one can connect with their faith in God.”
Police are still investigating the incident which was reported at around 6pm on Wednesday but is believed to have occurred in the early hours of the same day.
Chief Insp Denise Pye said afterwards said: “Due to the nature of the words written on the bus, this is being treated as a racially aggravated offence.”
Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.