What we are doing to prevent hate crime

Find more about the different types of hate crimes, our current campaigns to tackle them and how you can get involved.

Our equality, hate crime and cohesion team leads the council’s approach to tackling hate crime and hate incidents. We work alongside communities, voluntary and faith organisations, the police and other partners to make sure hate is challenged, victims are supported, and Leeds remains a welcoming and inclusive city for everyone.

This work is guided by the Leeds Hate Crime Strategy, which sets out how we prevent hate crime, improve reporting, support victims and hold offenders to account. The strategy is delivered through the Hate Crime Operational Group, a multi agency partnership that brings together professionals from across Leeds. The group:

  • coordinates action across council services, police, health, education and the voluntary sector
  • oversees delivery of the Hate Crime Strategy and delivery plan
  • identifies emerging risks, trends and community concerns
  • ensures lived experience and community voice shape responses

Find out more about what a hate crime or incident is and how to report one.

Awareness campaigns

Find out about our current campaigns to prevent hate crimes and incidents, and how you can get involved:

Hate Crime Awareness Week

Hate Crime Awareness Week is a national week of action to encourage local authorities, key partners and communities affected by hate crime to work together to tackle local hate crime.

Throughout the week which takes place in October each year, the Safer Stronger Communities team coordinate a series of activities and training sessions in collaboration with West Yorkshire Police and other partners across the city.

Get involved

If you are interested in delivering activities as part of Hate Crime Awareness Week, email hatecrime@leeds.gov.uk.

Anti-Muslim prejudice

In 2020, we carried out a survey carried that explored public familiarity with anti-Muslim hatred or prejudices, experiences, witnessing and actions taken as a result of these in Leeds. We appointed the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social relations, based at Coventry University to independently analyse the findings of this online survey.

A final report sets out the key findings and recommendations.

Anti-Muslim prejudice definition

In October 2022, members of our executive board formally approved the following definition:

'Anti-Muslim prejudice is direct or indirect hatred and discrimination against anyone of Islamic faith on grounds of their belief and practice. This could manifest in:

  • inciting or carrying out acts of racism, hatred and violence against people, and those perceived to be, of the Islamic faith (Muslims)
  • direct or indirect acts of discrimination and exclusion including policy and practice within organisations, which deny Muslims legitimate, fair and equal access to opportunities, facilities and services because of their faith, beliefs and practice
  • denying people of the Islamic faith the opportunity to practise their faith values, free of harassment, fear of violence against them or fear of incurring discrimination and hatred against them
  • actions which perpetuate a climate of mistrust, fear and a sense of marginalisation about or within the Islamic community for example, remarks by individuals and groups that can be made without fear of being held to account. Also use of print, social or electronic media to align and create fear and division surrounding the Muslim community'

Anti-Muslim prejudice working group

Leeds City Council and partners across the city have partnered up to protect people in Leeds from experiencing anti-Muslim prejudice. We all have a responsibility to challenge attitudes and behaviours that foster hatred to ensure communities feel safe.

A council-led strategic stakeholder group focused on anti-Muslim prejudice was established to take forward the recommendations of the report, develop an action plan and deliver priorities identified by the corresponding community reference group.

Islamophobia Awareness Month

Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a campaign founded in 2012 by a group of Muslim organisations. It aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims as well as raise awareness of Islamophobia in society.

Throughout the month which takes place in November each year, the Safer Stronger Communities team coordinate a series of activities and training sessions in collaboration with statutory and third sector partners across the city.

Get involved

If you are interested in delivering activities as part of Islamophobia Awareness Month, email hatecrime@leeds.gov.uk.

Antisemitism

Antisemitism definition

We have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism which is:

'a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.'

The IHRA definition specifies eleven 'contemporary examples of antisemitism' in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere which could, taking into account the overall context, include but are not limited to:

  • calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion
  • making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective - such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions
  • accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews
  • denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (such as gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust)
  • accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust
  • accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations
  • denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, for example, by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour
  • applying double standards by requiring of it a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nationt
  • using the symbols and images associated with classic anti-Semitism (such as claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis
  • drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis
  • holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel

Antisemitism working group

Leeds City Council and partners across the city have partnered up to protect people in Leeds from experiencing antisemitism. We all have a responsibility to challenge attitudes and behaviours that foster hatred to ensure communities feel safe. A council-led strategic stakeholder group focused on antisemitism was established to develop an action plan and deliver priorities identified by the corresponding community reference group.

Antisemitism Awareness Week

Antisemitism Awareness Week is a campaign founded in 2026 by Leeds City Council and key partners, to encourage local authorities, partners and communities to work together to tackle antisemitism.

Throughout the week, which takes place in February each year, the Safer Stronger Communities team coordinate a series of activities and training sessions in collaboration with West Yorkshire Police and other partners across the city.

Get involved

If you are interested in delivering activities as part of Antisemitism Awareness Week, email hatecrime@leeds.gov.uk.

What makes us different, makes us Leeds

This campaign reaffirms the council’s commitment to tackling all forms of discrimination and building inclusive, cohesive communities across Leeds. It addresses a broad spectrum of discrimination including:

  • racism
  • homophobia, biphobia and transphobia
  • religious discrimination
  • disability discrimination
  • misogyny
  • ageism

Find out more information, how you can get support and take action for each discrimination type.