'No whites allowed' graffiti sparks outrage in Birmingham

A Birmingham councillor has vowed not to let racist graffiti divide the community after an image of a wall in the city covered with the words “no whites allowed after 8pm” emerged.

The image of the graffiti was originally posted on a Facebook page called Brumz Updates last weekend. It’s since been deleted but has nonetheless caused outrage.

The post read: “Apparently this was spotted in Alum Rock yesterday. This is Birmingham not South Africa. It don’t matter if you’re brown, black, white or f*****g green just no need for it – you always get one idiot regardless of their skin colour trying to cause divide for others”.

Locals said someone had hurriedly sprayed black paint over the word “whites” after the photo went viral online.

A representative for the Ukim Dawah mosque, which is on the same street as the graffiti, told Yahoo News they did not recognise the sentiment.

“We get on great here, with all communities. That’s not the kind of thing we have round here.”

Labour councillor Ansar Ali Khan, who represents the city’s Washwood Heath ward, told the Birmingham Mail he was not aware of the racist graffiti but warned it would not divide the local community.

“Whoever has done this needs to know that he they do not have any support from the local community”, he said.

“It is unacceptable to have such divisive signs in a diverse community like Washwood Heath which embraces people of all colour and walks of life”.

“We cannot allow people to get away with this. They are trying to foment trouble in our peaceful neighbourhoods”.

“The community here has strong bonds and together we need to remain vigilant and root out the racists amongst us”.

Khan said similar messages had appeared on stickers left on lamp posts in the nearby Saltley district about three years ago.

Birmingham’s diversity and large muslim population have won the city plaudits but also proved controversial with some residents.

A 2009 local government report found some Brummies claiming white residents didn’t feel welcome in certain parts of the city at night.