Initial target of £200 smashed in 15 minutes as community show solidarity after far-right violence
A GoFundMe page set-up to show support for a Hartlepool mosque has raised over £10,000 in under 48 hours, after violent rioting rocked the community on Wednesday evening.
The fundraiser was set up by Andrew Cooper to show “appreciation and love” from the town for the work that Nasir Mosque puts into the area. The initial target of £200 was smashed within 15 minutes of the appeal being created.
Nasir Mosque was told to lock its gates on Wednesday night when a violent mob took to the streets of Hartlepool, as police worked to divert rioters away from the place of worship. Four police officers were injured after being attacked with missiles, glass bottles and eggs in the area, while a video has circulated online showing a racist attack in the town as a person of colour was punched in the face on the street.
Disinformation and conspiracy theories following the tragic deaths of three children in the knife attack in Southport saw the rapid spread of racism and Islamophobia online, which was attributed to the unrest seen in multiple places across the UK.
Hartlepool residents have rallied together in the aftermath to show solidarity with their local mosque in the face of the violence.
The GoFundMe page reads: “It’s easy to lose sight of the hard work, selfless acts and constant dedication that different communities contribute to our incredible town.
“Nasir Mosque has cooked and served out almost 30,000 meals to food banks and charities of Hartlepool in recent years, amongst countless other altruistic acts!
“I want to raise funds to show our appreciation of their dedication and effort, and to support their ongoing scheme to feed those in need across the town.”
Messages of support on the crowdfunding page showed community resilience and a rejection of the violent scenes their town saw on Wednesday night.
Alana, a donor, said: “So proud to see Hartlepool come together to stand against the few that DO NOT represent us or our town.”
Another donor, Kevin Smith, wrote: “Happy to contribute and show solidarity with people who do more to benefit Hartlepool than those “protestors” ever will. Keep up the good work!”
Another wrote: “Thank you for your contribution to our community.Those mindless acts last night were not in my name.”
(Image credit: Flickr / Yaffa Phillips)
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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