A MAJOR online conference which will aim to bring anti-racist activists across Yorkshire and the Humber together will be held next week.

The event, held by Stand up to Racism groups in Yorkshire and TUC Yorkshire and the Humber, will take place on Sunday, 19 September, running from 12pm to 3pm.

Speakers will include Bell Ribeiro Addy – Labour MP for Streatham – and ex-professional footballer Shaka Hislop, who starred for the likes of West Ham, Newcastle and Portsmouth.

Also speaking will be UCU trade union president Vicky Blake, Janet Alder - who campaigns for justice for her brother Christopher, who died in police custody in 1998 - Dominic Bascombe of Yorkshire and the Humber TUC and Equity and journalist Jake Bowers.

Clare Moseley, of refugee charity Care4Calais, and Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of Stand up to Racism, are also on the list, as are a number of refugees and asylum seekers.

A series of workshops at the event will look at issues including combating racism at work, decolonising the education system, defending the right to protest and opposing the Home Office hostile environment policy.

A spokesperson for Stand Up to Racism said: "The Tory government are organising a major racist offensive. They are intent on ‘turning back’ refugees and asylum seekers, attacking Black footballers for taking the knee and criminalising Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. 

"Priti Patel plans to reinforce the 'hostile environment' with a new, vicious Nationality and Borders Bill. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has a history of racist remarks and denies that institutional racism exists.

"We need to come together to say no to racist legislation and the politics of division. The Black Lives Matter movement showed that it is possible to shape the debate on race and racism in this country through mass protest. 

"Networks of refugee solidarity have shown our communities are more tolerant and diverse than the mainstream media and politicians. Students and educators of all ages are coming together to call for the decolonisation of the curriculum."

People can sign up for the conference at https://bit.ly/SUTRyorks21