Ten-fold increase in racist crimes in UK since London blasts

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Sunday July 17 2005 10:52 IST

PTI

LONDON: About 500 racist crimes have been reported to police in the UK during the last ten days since the serial bomb blasts here, a ten-fold increase in the number of such incidents in the country.

Reflecting the worry of Asian communities that they were being targeted by the far right in "revenge" attacks for the July seven bombings, police said about 500 "faith hate" and racist crimes have been reported to them in the past ten days. The figure is normally 50 to 60 a week.

The reprisals included arson attacks on several mosques and a gurdwara. On Thursday, police arrested eight people at a pub in Leeds, near the homes of two of the London bombers, in connection with such crimes. On Saturday, a man was charged with arson on a mosque in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

Very little more: http://www.newindpress.com/newsItems.asp?id=IEL20050717003040&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&rLink=-402

[ConfuZed]

1. Did this happen when the IRA set bombs?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. A lot of innocent Irish suffered.