The TUC, many trade unions and community organisations have come together to roganise tomorrow's demonstration against the far right. In the summer many such organisations came together to demonstrate community solidarity against the far right following the riots. One such gathering took place in Harrow. LINK
The risk to Community Cohesion figures for the first time in the Brent Strategic Risk report and comes near the top:
Putting Prevent at the top of Key Controls/Mitigating Action is likely to be controversial due to distrust in some communities of its underlying assumptions:
Brent
had a higher rate of population growth than London and England from 2011 to
2021 Census. It also became more diverse over this period with smaller groups
“Any other ethnic group seeing” 145% increase, followed by Arab (+57%). The
three largest ethnic groups are Indian (19.5%), Other White (15.9%), and White British
(15.2%). This rich diversity of the population brings opportunities for
cohesion and unity, but it is not immune to the risks of community tension and
conflict. With such a diverse community, we recognise that global
events can have a local impact, creating tensions amongst otherwise communities
that coexist peacefully. We are therefore mindful of tensions escalating and
the possibility of violence disorder in Brent. Unchecked tensions can result in
a breakdown in community cohesion and provide permissive environment for
prejudice and extremism to thrive and escalate into terrorism.
The
aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict since October 2023 has led to an
increase in hate crimes, notably anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, reflecting
heightened tensions within local communities. Protests by Palestine supporters
and potential counter-protests by the Jewish community seen in September 2024
near Brent Civic centre was peaceful but such protests could serve as
flashpoints for escalating tensions if not effectively managed.
The
UK national threat level for Terrorism remains substantial and Brent experience
complex risks and challenges. Brent has received targeted Home Office funding
to respond to the risks of radicalisation and was recognised as a priority
borough by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG)
for community cohesion. Persistent threats from extremist groups and the
potential for reduced Prevent funding beyond March 2025 are major concerns,
threatening the sustainability of initiatives aimed at preventing radicalisation,
community safety and cohesion.
Recent
far-right riots nationally and the conviction of a Brent based far-right
supporter for terrorist offenses highlights Brent’s susceptibility to this
threat. Muslim communities and Community sector partners have expressed
significant fear following recent far-right riots, with local multi-faith
forums and community engagement indicating a critical need for supportive
interventions.
Key
Controls/Mitigating Actions
Ensure
effective delivery of preventing radicalisation and counter - terrorism work, overseen
by the multi – agency – Prevent Oversight
Board, chaired at CMT level.
▪ Advocate for continued and increased funding to
ensure the sustainability of crucial initiatives,
reflecting Brent’s community cohesion risks.
▪ Broaden and strengthen the scope of community
engagement into effective partnership arrangements to maintain community
safety, with a particular focus on tackling extremism, prejudice hate crime and
promoting cohesion. Optimising upon the support from Community Leaders, Key Organisations,
Police, Multi-faith Forum’s and Schools.
▪ Continuously assess the impact of current initiatives
and remain flexible to adapt strategies
based on real-time community feedback and emerging challenges.
Source LINK.
