Cardiff University vice-chancellor condemns ‘racist and Islamophobic violence’ in the UK

Cardiff University’s vice-chancellor Wendy Larner sent a statement to students in response to the current riots happening across the UK, condemning the violence.

Riots broke out across Britain following a mass misinformation campaign online regarding the Southport knife attack that happened on the 29th of July, where three young girls were killed.

Labelled the worst unrest the UK has seen in a decade, the riots were led by far-right groups as a form of organised violence against the UK’s minority communities, largely directed at Muslim communities and immigrants.

In an email sent to students on August 8th, Wendy Larner said that she has been “deeply disturbed” by the outbreaks of racist and Islamophobic violence across the UK and condemns the “rioting and violence taking place”.

Since becoming vice-chancellor, Wendy Larner has ensured the continuation of working towards Cardiff University becoming an “actively anti-racist institution”, where people feel that they are safe and belong.

Cardiff University is also a University of Sanctuary, which means that it is committed to making the campus a safe and welcoming place for forced migrants, asylum seekers and other displaced individuals.

Cardiff’s Student Union officers have also recently released a statement on the riots, further condemning “all forms of racism and instances of hate-crime” and the “normalisation” of the actions and behaviour we have witnessed in recent weeks fuelled by the mainstream media.

The SU has said that it will continue to be an organisation proud of its “welcoming, inclusive and diverse nature” and affiliation with other organisations such as the Student Action for Refugees (STAR).

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