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These Tweets Reveal The UK's Disturbing Rise In Hate After Brexit

by John Haltiwanger
Twitter

In the wake of the Brexit referendum, there has been a disturbing rise in hate crimes across the United Kingdom.

On Thursday, 52 percent of the UK voted to leave the European Union, while 48 percent voted to remain.

Polls show the vast majority of those who voted "Leave," about 80 percent, believed immigration was a "force for ill," while the vast majority of those who voted "Remain," about 79 percent, believed immigration was a "force for good."

This isn't all that surprising, given the pro-Brexit camp has been fervently xenophobic and isolationist throughout the debate over immigration.

But, this xenophobia of the pro-Brexit camp translated into palpable hate on the streets of Britain in the wake of Thursday's vote.

It seems some of those who voted to leave feel they are now justified in blatantly attacking people who do not appear to be of white British heritage.

More than 100 incidents of race-based hate crimes have been reported since the UK voted to leave the EU, the Independent reports.

After the vote and through the weekend, people took to Twitter to document hateful incidents they witnessed, heard about or were targets of, sometimes using the hashtag #PostRefRacism.

Others expressed solidarity with those who were victims of this intolerance and provided information on how people can help report hate crimes.

Politicians, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, also expressed their concern over this unsettling post-Brexit trend.

There are many disconcerting parallels between the pro-Brexit camp and Donald Trump's campaign for the presidency in the US, especially strong anti-immigrant sentiments. Accordingly, Americans should pay very close attention to what's happening in the UK.

Citations: Surge in Hate Crimes in the U.K. Following U.K.'s Brexit Vote (TIME), How the United Kingdom voted on Thursday… and why (Lord Ashcroft Polls), Brexit: Wave of hate crime and racial abuse reported following EU referendum (Independent)