Call for meeting with police after racist and homophobic abuse towards actors in Chichester
Calls for a meeting with the police chief after the attacks in the city
Community leaders have asked to meet with the police to discuss recent racist and homophobic abuse aimed at actors performing at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
In October, one performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was cancelled following an assault on a member of the cast in what the CFT described as a “appallingly abusive attack”.
As previously reported by The News, the incident happened in the Little London car park behind East Street at about 6pm on 13 October. It is being treated as a homophobic hate crime.
Sussex Police confirmed a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was arrested on suspicion of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He was also arrested on suspicion of shop theft. The boy was issued with a Community Protection Warning, and has been bailed.
And comedian and satirist Munya Chawawa, who played the character of Bottom, told his Instagram followers about racism, xenophobia and homophobia witnessed during his time performing in the city.
During a meeting of the district council on Tuesday (November 3), leader Adrian Moss said he had written to Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne asking for a meeting alongside MP Jess Brown-Fuller, community leaders and the Festival Theatre.
He added: “There is also a meeting taking place later this week where community leaders will be coming together [at East Pallant House] to look at how we take this forward and how we support those that have been attacked – and also how we make sure that Chichester continues to be, on the whole, a welcoming place for everybody.”
Ms Bourne said: “I was concerned to hear about the appalling abuse experienced by Mr Chawawa in Chichester city centre and acknowledge that this will have shocked residents, businesses and theatre-goers.
“We have had assurances from the District Commander, that the Neighbourhood Policing Team are closely investigating the incident and working closely with the city centre community to identify those responsible.
“I am a very strong advocate for tackling hate crime and anti-social behaviour and I have driven local and national changes to how the police deal with abuse and assaults – particularly on retail staff.
“If we want our high streets and our world-renowned cultural sites to thrive, we must make them safe and welcoming for everybody.”