The First Pint’s anti-racism campaign: The last call on racism

Life for an international student in London can be hard. Much of our contributors’ work on The First Pint follows this theme, whether it be our Angry Russian’s rants about lackluster vodka or Bitter Betty’s tangled tales of looking for love in the big city.

In the long run, it comes down to mere annoyances or misunderstandings that can be easily brushed aside. However, some things cannot be ignored and should not be tolerated by any culture: racism and prejudice.

Last year saw a disturbing trend of racism against international students in London. The start of the term began with a gruesome case: three Muslim students were attacked in the neighbourhood surrounding City University by a mob of fascists. Students held a demonstration in protest of this violence, and the event was covered by The First Pint. Still, the story has not developed much further.

Other news stories of a less violent degree are also worth noting. Just a year ago, Virginia Jibowu, a London-born medical student of Nigerian descent, sued King’s College for deliberately failing her and ignoring her complaints of suffering racist remarks from her colleagues.

Around the same time, students at the London School of Economics were accused of taking part in a series of anti-Semitic incidents, which included verbal and physical abuses. The institution fell into the limelight again at the end of the year when members of its Athletic Union dressed up as Guantanamo Bay detainees for their Christmas party and took part in ‘racist, religiously insensitive and demeaning’ acts.

These events remind us that these are not easy times. The economy is still a long way from recovery and the political landscape surrounding the upcoming elections is turbulent, to say the least. Many may choose to vent their frustration on those from beyond their borders through violence and persecution. Perhaps more disturbingly, extreme right-wing parties such as the British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL) are making significant inroads into politics and are increasingly becoming the voice of an angry Britain.

The First Pint, as an advocate for international students in London, is taking the mantle for this cause and will henceforth do its part to raise awareness and fight prejudice of all kinds. Through interviews with major campaigners and real-life stories from students who have lived with intolerance, we will bring you to the frontline of a struggle that none of us can—or should—avoid.