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04-10-2022
LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been facing racist attacks after a British newspaper falsely reported that official had plans to cancel the making of the statue of the Queen.
The discriminatory attacks have been made publically on social media. Ironically, Khan had recently warned about media outlets inducing hatred and making profits, reported Al Mayadeen.
“No room for Queen Elizabeth II statue on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, rules Sadiq Khan,” read the first headline of the newspaper. Later, Khan’s name was removed.
According to TRT World, British author Nile Gardiner said that Sadiq Khan was “an embarrassment to London” calling him a “loony Left woke mayor” with no respect for the Queen.
“Sadiq doesn’t like white things. He is making London as un-white as possible,” wrote Andy London.
Some British papers reported that Khan had denied the space for the Queen’s statue on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth which has showcased contemporary artworks since 1999.
The Mayor’s office clarified on Twitter that the news was incorrect saying that the “Mayor of London stands ready to support the wishes of the Royal Family”.
A statement issued by the Greater London Authority that the location of the Queen’s statue was the decision for King Charles III and the Family to make.
“A statue of the Queen at a suitable location in London is a matter for the royal family to consider, and of course, the Greater London Authority stands ready to support them in their wishes,” the statement read.
As a result of the false news, rumours about Khan spread like wildfire. Along with racial slurs, he was accused of not being loyal to the Royal Family and not being patriotic enough.
A week ago, the mayor spoke at a conference where he shared that 230,000 racist tweets had been published against him since he took charge in 2016.
He noted that the hatred was fueled by inaccurate reporting on social media and by the press both of whom made “profits” out of all of it.
“What we’ve realized now is that when you use my name, its good clickbait for traffic,” he said, adding that hate was being “monetized”. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
