London church leaders have launched a social media campaign#LondonUnited in response to the refugee crisis. Nicola Furley-Smith, Moderator of URC Southern Synod, was among those signing the following statement:
St Nicholas Day Statement – 6 December 2016
#LondonUnited
This morning, we as London Church Leaders met to share our grave concerns about the growing refugee crisis. Reports of harassment and abuse, connected to heightened tensions around the subject of immigration, have occurred across the capital in recent months. Eastern European communities appear to have been particularly targeted, in the wake of the EU Referendum.
London is the most diverse city in the world and in the future will either be a beacon of racial harmony, or a dreadful warning. The Mayor and the Metropolitan Police are playing an important role, but it is the responsibility of every citizen to stand up for the tolerance which makes London such a creative place to live.
In the lead-up to Christmas, in recognition and celebration of our collective responsibility, we have agreed to launch an initiative via social media under the banner of #LondonUnited, to share stories of London communities coming together as neighbours and fellow citizens across all the boundaries of class, religion and ethnicity.
