In the wake of Brexit, turns out racism is a very British thing
On Brexit day, CBBC shared a video clip from its Horrible Histories programme on Twitter. Comedian Nish Kumar introduced the clip, which was intended to be a lighthearted history of “British things” aimed at children.
Unfortunately, some flag-waving Brexit fans didn’t respond too well to being told that tea, sugar, and cotton aren’t really British. Kumar received a racist backlash from people who clearly aren’t big on history:
Ooh Nish Kumar is trending. Let’s take a l-
*a tsunami of gammon washes through the screen
English supremacists are literally losing their shit at Nish for telling them where tea, sugar & cotton actually come from.
— Kerry-Anne Mendoza 🏳️🌈🍉 (@TheMendozaWoman) January 31, 2020
Even the likes of BBC presenter Andrew Neil joined in the pile-on. Meanwhile, blame for the video’s “anti-British” message fell squarely on Kumar, despite the fact that Kumar only introduced the clip. In fact, the clip itself has been around for a while and wasn’t even made for Brexit:
Interesting that nobody had an issue with this song when it was first shown in 2009… It's almost as if they have a problem with Nish Kumar, not the message? 🧐 https://t.co/TZ2tieyXlX
— disco udders (@ElenaBjxrn) January 31, 2020
Your racism is showing
Much as many people at Brexit Day celebrations might argue that they aren’t racist, just proud of being British, their true colours keep showing. And they are, quite frankly, disgusting:
Nish Kumar was born in Wandsworth.
— rufa ratae #NHSblueheart (@rufaratae) January 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/JohnBoocock/status/1223347336803495936?s=20
Clearly, Brexit has emboldened those with racist views, which is obvious from the spike in racially-motivated hate crime in recent years. So the far-right leanings of some celebrating Brexit Day come as no surprise:
this is moment we left the EU last night from within parliament square. amongst 1000s of ppl there were sizeable pockets of far-right. lads with swastika neck tattoos, ppl singing “oh tommy tommy”+deification of nigel farage. a big moment that felt a little like a tipping point. pic.twitter.com/eX8jGyqiYm
— Ben Smoke (@bencsmoke) February 1, 2020
“Make Britain Great Again”
The nationalist lines of ‘getting our country back’ and ‘making Britain great again’ has an eerie echo of the Trump-supporting MAGA crowd in the US:
https://twitter.com/MrsMigginsHere/status/1223356168581603331?s=20
Sadly, Kumar’s experience of racism in the wake of Brexit isn’t the only one. It’s just more visible because of its public nature. Meanwhile, everyday experiences of racism for People of Colour carry on in Brexit Britain:
A friend posted this on another social media platform, left overnight in her neighbourhood. pic.twitter.com/CuFHgr7uTn
— Dorothy Lepkowska @dotlepkowska.bsky.social (@DotLepkowska) January 31, 2020
Those celebrating Brexit are doing so because they got what they wanted. But if they want me or Kumar to go back to where we came from, there’s bad news. Britain may have left the EU, but people like us aren’t going anywhere.
Featured image via YouTube/CBBC
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“A tidal wave of gammon”
An insult based on skin colour. Nice hypocrisy there. I’m sure someone once said something about judging someone by the content of their character rather than the colour of their skin.
If you are sticking up for right wing Gammons, I can only assume you are a racist yourself, with nothing better to do than troll the Canary.
I’m challenging a racist comment. Unless protected characteristics no longer apply? Please tell me how an insult based on skin colour isn’t racist, and show me where in my comment I was sticking up for anyone. I was pointing out the hypocrisy in using racist language in an article criticising racism.
Are comments on The Canary limited to those who only parrot the same lines and is challenging the narrative is to be frowned upon? Or are you of the group that see any alternative opinion and viewpoint as ‘hate speech’ and ‘trolling’?
I have a simple question. Why conflate racism with Brexit?
Brexit was a democratic exercise in which Remainers and Leavers alike participated in good faith and were to abide by whatever the outcome as any other democratic process before it.
Since then we’ve had several elections with all results pointing heavily towards leaving the EU. If public opinion was different, Change UK would still be in business and not confined to the dustbin of history. The EU is not the vanguard of anti-racism otherwise it would have refused to partake in the destruction of Libya and Syria which in my opinion were just 2 examples of racism and bigotry.
What do you say to those ethnic minorities that support democratic sovereignty? Do you tell them to forget it because you’re smarter than they are?
As for George Floyd, let’s rewind to when Mark Duggan was shot by police. There was huge outrage including from the mainstream media against the rioters. Today its against a President that had nothing to do with the death of Mr Floyd. The hypocrisy is seriously over the Richter Scale and the sad incident is being politicised by an unelected bunch of self-appointed self serving elites. Wake up.