If you are signing on behalf of your organisation or would like your name made public at the end of the letter please write this in the comment section under your name and email.

Dear MSPs,

Over the Scottish Parliament’s summer recess period, we have seen:

• A hijab wearing woman of colour attacked in Glasgow

• Black and Asian taxi drivers and food delivery workers attacked

• Racial harassment and intimidation of staff working on the frontline of charities and services

• Harassment of, and disinformation about, charities and individuals working with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers (as investigated by The Ferret).

• An Asian man harassed and targeted in a public park whilst playing with his children

• Doxxing and harassment of women involved in anti-racism campaigning

• Mosques being attacked

• Rallies led by the far-right turning violent with missiles and glass bottles thrown at police and counter protestors, whilst doing Nazi salutes.

These incidents are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many issues that go unreported and do not garner media attention. We say enough is enough.

These incidents have not happened in a vacuum and neither has the rise of the far-right. This has been enabled through years of too many politicians and commentators scapegoating migrants and asylum-seekers for every problem in society. Far-right and neo-Nazi groups have been emboldened, and now feel they have the permission to spread disinformation, hate, and racism. They exploit important issues including violence against women and girls and poverty, weaponising peoples’ fears and anger to spread their hateful ideology. And they are being enabled by some within the Scottish political landscape.

As you return to parliament, with the privilege of representing a wide-ranging and diverse set of people across Scotland, you must take on the responsibility of tackling the far-right. You must take responsibility to ensure that you and all in your party do not engage in or enable the spread of disinformation. You must take the standards of public office seriously to be worthy of being an elected politician.

We call on all MSPs to:

• Call out far-right groups and specifically condemn their incitement of violence against migrants, asylum-seekers, Muslims, and people of colour

• Be clear and strong in your language that these far-right groups are weaponising and exploiting violence against women and girls, and rather than “protectors” their behaviours have made all women less safe.

• Publicly pledge that any member of their party supporting and/or speaking at far-right rallies or night patrols will be expelled.

• Publicly pledge to not engage in using dehumanising and incendiary language in relation to migrants, asylum seekers, and communities of colour, which further embolden far-right actors.

We call on the Scottish Government to:

• Launch an emergency response which centres more effective and accountable policing of the far-right with a zero tolerance policy, outlines clear methods to fight disinformation, and invests in the safety and security of frontline charities and organisations that are being targeted.

• Significantly increase investment in violence against women support services and prioritisation of prevention activities to tackle violence against women and girls.

• Deliver a more meaningful and faster-paced response to tackling poverty through methods such as the implementation of the minimum income guarantee.

SIGNED: PLEASE SIGN BY 31ST AUGUST 5PM.

Organisations

Women Against the Far-Right Scotland

Scottish Trade Union Congress

Stand Up to Racism Scotland

Perth Against Racism

Abortion Rights Scotland

Back Off Scotland

STUC Black Workers Committee

NASUWT Scotland, The Teachers' Union

UCU Scotland

International Women's Day Edinburgh

AMINA Muslim Women's Resource Centre

One Parent Families Scotland

Zero Tolerance

Young Women's Movement

Scottish Women's Aid

Close The Gap

Lawmanity

East Kilbride Integration Network

Rape Crisis Scotland

We Are Here Scotland

Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland

Seham & Najma

Engender

Refuweegee

Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)

Workers co-operative media co-op

Pass the Mic

Individuals

Roz Foyer, General secretary, STUC

Nicola Sturgeon, Former First Minister

Dr Pinar Aksu, Human Rights campaigner and researcher

Jean Johansson, TV presenter and columnist

Tara Lillis, Chair STUC Women’s Committee

Talat Yaqoob, Women Against the Far-Right Scotland

Kate Dickie, Actor

Liz McGachey, PCS Scottish Executive Co-Convenor

Dr Cecile Menard, UCU Scotland Vice-President

Kaukab Stewart, Former MSP

Mariam Ahmed, CEO AMINA

Afifa Khanam - Teacher, community activist and politician

Lena Wanggren, UCU Edinburgh

Neica Mclorinan, Chair of STUC Black Workers Committee

Hannah Bardell, Former MP

Nadia El-Nakla, Councillor

Kirstin Innes, author

Sadia Sikandar, activist and photographer

Satwat Rehman, CEO OPFS

Selina Hales, Founder, Refuweegee

Iona Fyfe, Musician

Laura Murtagh, Councillor

Roza Salih, Councillor

Amna Saleem, author and screenwriter

Sara Sheridan, historian and author

Denise Mina, author

Kirsty Logan, writer

Chitra Ramaswamy, writer and journalist

Val McDermid, author

Eva Bollander, Councillor

Fatima Joji, Councillor

Lesley Backhouse, Councillor

Auxi Berrera, Councillor

Zamard Zahid, activist