A petition calling for legislation to outlaw racial incitement bearing 430, 000 signatures was introduced into the House of Commons today by Anthony Greenwood, a Laborite and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Civil Liberties; Eric Lubbock, a member of the Liberal party; and Arthur Tiely, Conservative.
Mr. Greenwood told a press conference here that the petition had been initiated by the Yellow Star, the movement established earlier this year to combat the outbreak of racial incidents, but was later taken up by the National Council for Civil Liberties, the Beard of Deputies of British, Jews, the Association of Jewish Ex-servicemen and a number of other organizations.
He pointed out that the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations had gone on record in support of legislation against racial incitement while a number of countries have laws making it a penal offense. He said that while legislation was not a universal remedy, it had its importance in curbing incitement.
Laborite Fenner Brockway said that he would introduce his bill outlawing racial incitement for the ninth time on January 23 and that he also favored passage of a recently introduced measure banning oral incitement to hatred.
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