London group sings hate chant after Britain votes to leave EU
Following Britain’s vote to leave the EU, a group has been heard chanting “First we’ll get the Poles out, then the gays!”
The UK narrowly voted in a referendum last week to leave the EU – with 17,410,742 (51.9%) votes to leave, and 16,141,241 (48.1%) votes for remaining.
Colin Appleby, a gay resident of Covent Garden, London posted that he heard people making their way up Drury Lane on Sunday night, singing loudly.
According to Appleby, the group chanted: “Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves! First we’ll get the Poles out, then the gays!”
In a Facebook post, he added: ” This is Drury Lane in Covent Garden, London, it’s the home two two theatres, a plethora of restaurants and bars and it is in liberal, tolerant London.”
Mr Appleby said that he has reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police. Alleged hate crimes reported to a police website have risen by 57% after the UK voted to leave the EU, according to Sky News.
Following the vote, the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association expressed sadness that the UK’s voice would no longer be heard on LGBT rights issues within the EU.
The statement said: “The UK and the EU have a long history of complementing and building on the work of the other when it comes to advancing LGBTI equality. Anything that limits this shared work is clearly a concern for us.”
