Council leader Cllr Richard Olszewski

In an opinion article for the Camden New Journal, Camden Council leader Councillor Richard Olszewski responds to divisive demonstrations and the far right

Everything we do in Camden we do for our communities. And it’s our communities that make Camden everything it is – an open-minded, tolerant and understanding borough within the best city in the world, where everyone is welcome and has their place.

Camden is immensely proud to be a Borough of Sanctuary – a place that is committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment for people seeking refuge from war and persecution.   And over the years we’ve also been proud to welcome people who have come here to study, work and build their lives. A short walk around Camden is all that’s needed to see how we thrive as a result.

But these are difficult times. I’ve spoken many of our residents and they tell me that they have been deeply shaken by the demonstrations we have seen across the country.  This is troubling – every one of those residents is a valued member of our society.

I have heard how colleagues, friends and council workers have been profoundly affected by the actions of those seeking to intimidate and make our friends, neighbours and colleagues feel unwelcome and fearful.  We will not allow any member of our community to live in fear because of toxic politics that sows division, fear and hatred.

These are people who contribute to our communities every day. We have built our lives side by side – learning from each other, supporting each other and, together, making Camden the vibrant, creative place it is today.

My parents suffered directly at the hands of the Nazis when their country, Poland, was invaded in the Second World War. They survived slave labour and concentration camp imprisonment and were then given the opportunity to make a new life in London. Britain gave them a haven and a sanctuary, from which they got a fresh start and then contributed to their communities. As a child I Iearned of the suffering they went through, but also of the welcome they received here in Britain, and of the contribution they have proudly made to this country.

We live in a time of growing division and unrest. We’ve seen protests on the streets of London unlike anything we have witnessed for generations. Many are fearful for the future, as words and symbols of division and hate are spread, and threatening rhetoric is spoken openly in a way that just a few years ago would have seemed unimaginable.

Our country faces huge challenges and has many problems to solve. None of these problems have been caused by a refugee, or by someone locally who has a different belief system or skin colour to anyone else. Rather, our belief systems and the things that distinguish us are being hijacked and manipulated by those to seek to drive a wedge between us, for their own selfish gain.

They use reductive politics – and by this I mean they enthusiastically air the problems and lay the blame solely with one group they decide to target. There are absolutely no solutions to be found here, only a wilfully misguided and malicious blame game.

To really tackle the issues we face we need to come together and look at what makes us successful. When we embrace our differences, especially in big cities, we thrive. This has been proven time and again over many years and there are many examples across the world. London, perhaps, is the most successful example.

The far right talks London down and spreads lies about our city. We know that London’s multicultural communities are thriving, and we must all do more to make sure no one is left behind.

The far-right instigators of these demonstrations are determined to intimidate and attack some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.  We will not allow our streets to become a hostile environment where people are made to feel unwelcome because of their heritage, religion, gender or sexual orientation. And we will not be deterred from celebrating this every single day.

I also want to appeal to anyone in Camden who may have been drawn to these marches or who may be receiving hateful materials online or through the door, material that’s trying to convince us that the solution to our problems lies in targeting those who are vulnerable. This is not the answer – people are trying to manipulate us. There is another way, a different story. A story based on realities, on understanding, on care and support for our fellow human beings.

We will always stand firmly against hate and division. We are here for all residents. We understand that life is tough for many and we must work together to find the solutions to the challenges we face. Division and scapegoating has never been the answer and it never will be.

We must stick together.