A ward Councillor has issued a statement addressing the national riots, in which she states, “the Milton Keynes community continues to show there are more decent people than not and I am proud of us.”
As the national riots continue across the UK, Councillor for the Campbell Park and Old Woughton ward, Cllr Nana Oguntola has issued a statement addressing the ongoing disorder, mentioning the decency of the Milton Keynes people amid the chaos.
The statement reads:
“The country and the world has been witness to the horrible riots going on in the country and we are being threatened with more in the next few days.
The riots have been unfortunate as they have taken the focus away from the tragedy which took place in Southport and forced us to focus on racism, islamophobia and prejudice instead.
The riots have taken away from the families, the school, the community in Southport and the nation, the opportunity process what happened, to mourn, to ask questions and to sanctify and make sacred a shared grief.
Just a few months ago, a white man brandishing a machete killed a 15-year-old black boy. Nobody rioted because people understand this is not representative of an entire people.
Now a 17-year-old commits this heinous crime, and an entire people must pay for it.
As a city councillor, and a black African woman, these riots have impacted me mentally. It is difficult for me to go and do my morning run and I am now staying at home to run on the treadmill. I understand the riots have not arrived in Milton Keynes, but we need to ask difficult questions as a community, society and nation about what fed this violence.
This is not a sudden happening this is a mindset and hatred that has been brewing for a period of time.
Just recently someone interacting with me on social media said foreigners made their area dirty and there were foreigners everywhere. Suella Braverman said the nation was invaded by foreigners. Language and rhetoric like this is the issue. Nigel Farage and his racist rhetoric is given far too much airtime by the media to spew this language.
They do not stem from truth and must not be tolerated. It should not fall to just black people who are courageous enough to speak up to counter these narratives. All people who are against racism and discrimination must speak up wherever they see this language and rhetoric. It is said ‘evil persist when good people do nothing’ and so all people must speak up, so we can preserve the right narrative: one of unity and mutual respect for all.
The Milton Keynes community continues to show there are more decent people than not and I am proud of us.
Here is to the continuation of collaborations, partnership and equity for all in this city of Milton Keynes.”
