MEND Statement on Terror Attack Against Synagogue in Halle, Germany

MEND would like to extend its support to all those affected by this week’s devastating far-right terror attack against a synagogue in Halle, Germany, in which at least two people were killed. MEND stands in solidarity with our Jewish sisters and brothers to tackle all forms of hatred, including anti-Semitism. An injustice against one person is an injustice against all of humanity.

The global pattern of far-right violence demands that we radically recalibrate the ways in which the far-right is understood and tackled within security discourses and strategies. Indeed, prosecutors have argued that the attacker deliberately mimicked tactics used in the terrorist attack against mosques in New Zealand earlier this year, with over 2,000 people watching a live stream of this latest attack on an online streaming platform.

MEND calls upon the Government to:

• Outline their plan to tackle far-right politically motivated violence in the UK.
• Outline their strategy to implement primary legislation to deal with social media offences and hate speech online, including the removal of extreme content.