Reform council accused of banning displays for Refugee Week and for Pride month

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  • Post last modified:9 June 2026

The Reform-led council in St Helens has instructed all local libraries to take down displays promoting or funding anything relating to Pride or Refugee Week. This Orwellian – and bigoted – move comes just as Refugee Week is set to commence, between the 15th and 21st June, and shuts down the long-seen practice of libraries highlighting resources which increase understanding and compassion towards marginalised communities. At the same time, the council have afforded Β£200k of taxpayers’ money to pay a consultant to β€˜educate’ elected Reform councillors on the inner workings of the council over four years. This follows a comment made…

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Series of hate displays in north of Ireland tacitly condoned by DUP

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  • Post last modified:9 June 2026

In recent weeks, far-right actors in loyalist areas of the north of Ireland have unleashed a spate of racist and Islamophobic murals, banners and graffiti. The response of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who have a heavy presence in these areas, has been to remain mute or even challenge police when they remove such displays. The banners have at times been comical in their ineptitude, like the incoherent AI-generated mural put up by Concerned Parents Newtownabbey (CPN), previously covered by the Canary. There is a serious side too, however, in the hostile sentiment such displays show towards Muslims. The Police Service…

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