open letter against racist activity
26 September 2025
In the face of activity planned by far-right groups in Newcastle this Saturday, 27 September, to date 268 representatives across the culture and voluntary sectors have come together to sign an Open Letter to Newcastle City Council.
We represent 63 organisations across the arts and culture and voluntary sectors, academia, senior leaders and members of the Sanctuary and Culture Network.
The letter was sent to Councillor Karen Kilgour and Councillor Abdul Samad on Thursday 25 September. We will share their response. The open letter was reopened on Friday 26 September after more people requested to sign it. These subsequent signatures will be shared with Newcastle City Council.
We also acknowledge the continued support, organising and advocacy that is happening on the ground.
For a copy of the signed letter click here.
Open Letter Against Racist Activity
25 September 2025
Dear Councillor Karen Kilgour (Leader of Newcastle City Council) and Councillor Abdul Samad (Cabinet member for Culture, Music and Arts)
We the members of the Sanctuary and Culture Network and wider arts and culture community are deeply committed to Newcastle as a City of Sanctuary, building community and anti-racist action.
We are artists, community groups, organisations and venues in the North East, who actively welcome, support and collaborate with individuals and families seeking sanctuary. We join in a shared vision of solidarity, underlined by resistance to the scapegoating and racism in parts of our communities today.
It is with great disappointment that we have learned of far-right activity planned in Newcastle this weekend, including the launch conference by the new far-right party Advance UK, the attendance of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, and on the same day, Nick Tenconi, the leader of UKIP, is planning to assemble his supporters and protest in Newcastle.
This follows eight consecutive Saturdays when the far-right and racists have protested outside a city hotel, which accommodates people seeking asylum.
As a City of Sanctuary, we have an obligation to make it abundantly clear that racism is not tolerated in our city.
We welcome Newcastle City Council’s statement on 23 September, condemning the rise of racism, hatred and discrimination, and the rhetoric around asylum that too often seeks to dehumanise vulnerable people.
But we need to go further. If this activity is not called out, it not only endangers individuals, but will have profound implications for what is acceptable and threatens the very fabric of society.
It is deeply concerning that Newcastle has been chosen as a focus for far-right activities, including the launch of a new party that promotes racist and exclusionary values.
The mainstreaming of their messaging is increasingly worrying and we implore Newcastle City Council to now stand nationally as a beacon for hope, welcome and tolerance.
In the face of activity planned by far-right groups in Newcastle this Saturday, 27 September, to date 268 representatives across the culture and voluntary sectors have come together to sign an Open Letter to Newcastle City Council.
We represent 63 organisations across the arts and culture and voluntary sectors, academia, senior leaders and members of the Sanctuary and Culture Network.
The letter was sent to Councillor Karen Kilgour and Councillor Abdul Samad on Thursday 25 September. We will share their response. The open letter was reopened on Friday 26 September after more people requested to sign it. These subsequent signatures will be shared with Newcastle City Council.
We also acknowledge the continued support, organising and advocacy that is happening on the ground.
For a copy of the signed letter click here.
Open Letter Against Racist Activity
25 September 2025
Dear Councillor Karen Kilgour (Leader of Newcastle City Council) and Councillor Abdul Samad (Cabinet member for Culture, Music and Arts)
We the members of the Sanctuary and Culture Network and wider arts and culture community are deeply committed to Newcastle as a City of Sanctuary, building community and anti-racist action.
We are artists, community groups, organisations and venues in the North East, who actively welcome, support and collaborate with individuals and families seeking sanctuary. We join in a shared vision of solidarity, underlined by resistance to the scapegoating and racism in parts of our communities today.
It is with great disappointment that we have learned of far-right activity planned in Newcastle this weekend, including the launch conference by the new far-right party Advance UK, the attendance of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, and on the same day, Nick Tenconi, the leader of UKIP, is planning to assemble his supporters and protest in Newcastle.
This follows eight consecutive Saturdays when the far-right and racists have protested outside a city hotel, which accommodates people seeking asylum.
As a City of Sanctuary, we have an obligation to make it abundantly clear that racism is not tolerated in our city.
We welcome Newcastle City Council’s statement on 23 September, condemning the rise of racism, hatred and discrimination, and the rhetoric around asylum that too often seeks to dehumanise vulnerable people.
But we need to go further. If this activity is not called out, it not only endangers individuals, but will have profound implications for what is acceptable and threatens the very fabric of society.
It is deeply concerning that Newcastle has been chosen as a focus for far-right activities, including the launch of a new party that promotes racist and exclusionary values.
The mainstreaming of their messaging is increasingly worrying and we implore Newcastle City Council to now stand nationally as a beacon for hope, welcome and tolerance.
