Senior Labour politicians have spoken out in support of Cécile Kyenge, the Italian MEP who is being sued for defamation for calling Italy’s ruling League party racist, after one of its members compared her to an orangutan.
Kyenge, who was Italy’s first black cabinet minister, is facing trial over comments she made in 2014 against the League, the far-right party that is part of Italy’s coalition government.
Italy’s far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, decided to sue Kyenge, after she called the League racist because one of its members, then party secretary for the Emilia-Romagna region, published a picture on social media depicting her as an orangutan.
In an open letter to the Guardian, nearly 40 black MPs and community leaders expressed concern that an Italian court had allowed the League to open a case of defamation against her.
“The image on social media is one of many incidents and intimidations by the League’s politicians and supporters that Cécile has recently faced,” states the letter, which has been signed by prominent Labour frontbenchers, including the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, who has also faced sustained misogynistic and racist abuse.
“We fully support Cécile and stand with her decision … to fight against racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.”
Other signatories include Labour’s shadow treasury minister, Clive Lewis, the prominent backbenchers David Lammy and Chuka Umunna, as well as the director of Operation Black Vote, Simon Woolley. Most signatories are British but politicians from Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Poland have also lent support.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
