London,
10
September
2025
|
14:34
Europe/London

Leader and Interfaith Network Co-Chairs message

“Our diversity is our biggest strength”: a message from the Leader of Camden Council, Councillor Richard Olszewski and Interfaith Network Co-Chairs Councillor Nadia Shah and Councillor Rebecca Filer 

We know that many of you are deeply concerned about the far-right ‘protests’ that are planned to come to London this weekend. Please be reassured that we are taking steps to keep our borough safe, and to underline our resounding message that Camden is no place for hate.  

The ugly rhetoric, intimidation and fear that surrounds this so-called ‘free speech rally’ goes against everything we stand for here in Camden. We wholeheartedly object to London, our capital city and our home, being used as a stage for this kind of hate, division and hostility, which aims to pit communities against each other. This is not what Camden is about. Here, we believe in bringing people together rather than driving them apart. Our focus is always on strengthening the sense of community that makes Camden such a special place to live, work and visit – and making sure everyone feels they belong. 

We are proud to be a Borough of Sanctuary. For decades we have welcomed people fleeing conflict, disaster and persecution – supporting people from the UK and beyond to make our borough their home. We have built our lives together side by side, learnt from each other, supported each other and together made Camden the vibrant, creative and diverse place it is today. Our diversity is our biggest strength. We celebrate this each and every day and we must never lose sight of the power this provides to us all.  

We know that this is a worrying and unsettling time for many people in Camden. We are continuing to take action to ensure the safety of everyone living, working and visiting our borough. This includes:  

  • engaging with our communities, our partners and refugees in our borough to reassure them that we are here to support them and keep them safe 
  • continuing to work closely with the Police, who are increasing their patrols in Camden. Our Community Safety Enforcement teams have increased their patrols too 
  • writing directly to community groups, networks and places of worship in the borough to reassure them on the measures being taken and to remind them of how best to report any incidents or concerns 
  • continuing to work closely with local faith leaders and our interfaith network to understand more about how our communities are feeling and to provide reassurance and support. 

Camden is an incredibly special place. We are proud to be a borough where people from all walks of life live, work and learn together; a place with trust, strength and shared understanding at our core. We have always stood firm against hate and division; confronting it with the power of solidarity and unity. Spreading hope, solidarity and unity will remain our focus as we look to the future. 

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Reporting a hate crime:  

  •  In an emergency you should call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice.  
  • If the incident or crime isn’t an emergency, call 101 or contact your local neighbourhood police, for example by visiting your local station.  
  • You can also report hate crime online via report-it.org.uk 
  • You can report a hate crime or incident to the Camden Safety Unit (CSU): csu.camden@met.police.uk. The CSU investigates all hate crime reports. Officers are trained to provide support to victims.  
  • You can also call the Council on 020 7974 4444 
  • We encourage anyone who witnesses or experiences this behaviour to report it. Even if you don’t report a hate incident when it happens, please do report it.  
  • For further information and a full list of community organisations that provide reporting services please visit Hate crime - Camden Council  

 

We all have a role to play in bringing our communities together  

Camden is built on respect, understanding and support for one another – and our focus remains firmly on strengthening the community cohesion that makes our borough so resilient.  

We all have a role to play in this – and there are lots of things you can do to help foster hope, solidarity and belonging in our borough. For example:  

  • Report your concerns – by reporting hateful behaviour when it happens to you, or when you see it happen to someone else, you may be able to help us stop others being targeted with this behaviour. See above for more information and signposting 
  • Volunteer your time – Camden is full of generous people and we’re really proud of the spirit and compassion of our communities. Find out more about how you can get involved here 
  • Set up a community project or initiative – the Council's Voluntary and Community Sector investment programme supports voluntary and community organisations to build strong, connected communities. There is lots of support available. You can find out more here. Our “We Make Camden Kit” also gives money and support to Camden residents and community groups who have great ideas for their communities. Find out more here.