The public must not be the forgotten partner in the fight against extremism. So says a report by the London Assembly, titled ‘Preventing extremism in London‘.
The report welcomes the newly formed London CONTEST Board – which will be introduced to oversee the implementation of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy in the capital. According to the report the London CONTEST Board needs to ensure it lives the ‘dare to share’ ethos in the way it communicates with the public: “It should commit to regular, open and honest communication and engagement with the public about what is happening in London.” Collaboration between public services across London is vital and needs to improve, the report found.
According to the 50-page report, extremist groups are increasingly using social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube, to spread their message. This is done in several ways: ‘broad’, through videos and propaganda; ‘narrow’, through the use of closed forums and private discussion groups; and ‘targeted’, in which individuals already involved in extremism contact friends, family, and other associates, to influence them.
The Met Police’s Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has removed around 1000 items of material from a range of extremist groups from the internet each week
over the past year, and this is a trend that is continuing, the Assembly found.
For the full report, visit http://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assembly-publications/preventing-extremism-london.
For 230 pages of background material, visit https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/preventing_extremism_in_london_evidence_pack.pdf.
Pictured by Mark Rowe: City Hall.
