Islington councillors have approved a cross-party motion to stand together “against racism and fascism” following far-right protests over the summer.

In a significant show of unity, the motion was passed at the full council meeting held last Thursday (September 26).

Proposed by Cllr Sheila Chapman (Labour) and seconded by Cllr Benali Hamdache (Green), it condemned the riots in Southport that erupted after the murder of three girls in the town.

Cllr Chapman said: “Over the summer we witnessed right-wing fascists use social media platforms to whip up Islamophobic, anti-migrant and racist hate.

“That violence we saw, which swept the UK, was the worst that we’ve seen for over a decade.

“Islington moved swiftly to ensure the safety of our diverse communities, with community impact assessments, assurance patrols, and standing in solidarity at the anti-racist rally outside the Finsbury Park Mosque.

“There is no place for hate in Islington. We will root it out wherever we see it.”

Councillors agreed social media had created a “perfect storm” for far-right conspiracy theories and extremist ideology and led to “domestic terrorism” up and down the country.

Cllr Chapman said she was “very pleased” to see colleagues putting political differences aside to put the motion forward.

The motion resolved to support the Government’s review of tech companies’ role in the riots, but also urged the government to crack down on the press and “instigators of hate”.

It also stated that “years of austerity” had created a culture of hate and blame.

Cllr Chapman said the aim of the motion was to call on the council to not only take a clear stand against racism but to “redouble efforts” to promote the work of Islington’s Hate Crime Prevention Champions, to engage residents, take ownership and tackle hate crime in the borough.

“We want to be purposeful and explicit in our communications. We want to be anti-racist organisation, and we want to make sure we call these riots what they are: racist and Islamophobic,” she added.

Before discussing the motion, Chapman asked that all members born outside of the UK to raise their hands in a “powerful” demonstration of the borough’s diversity.

Cllrs Cinko-Oner, Ibrahim, Hyde, Graham and McKee were among those who also spoke passionately in support of the motion.