Sheffield Residents Condemn Posters around Sheffield promoting the hate preacher Franklin Graham

On bus stations, trams and busses around Sheffield posters have gone to promote hate preacher Franklin Graham’s event at Sheffield Arena.

Sheffield Against Hate are calling on First Bus, Stage Coach and Travel South Yorkshire to remove these posters, and stop supporting hate preacher Franklin Graham.

Franklin Graham has publicly engaged in hate speech against multiple minority groups including, but not limited to, Muslims, LGBT+ people, and Migrants. His extreme views promote prejudice and division. Franklin Graham and his followers are everything that Sheffield is proud to stand against.

On May 25th Graham will be speaking at Sheffield Arena, pushing his agenda of hate and division. This is despite both the local authority and the Arena trying to refuse. Sheffield Against Hate will be there to demonstrate against his visit.

Quotes from Sheffield Against Hate supporters;

“As a Christian and Priest I want to distance my faith tradition from some of the hateful comments that have come from Mr Graham. He doesn’t speak for Christianity and certainly doesn’t talk like Jesus.

"I’ll be demonstrating along with others at the Arena because we need to make sure the message of love is said loud and clear.

"When it comes to religion Mr Graham and I have a good few things in common but as Christians we do need to condemn his statements on LGBTQ people and other inflammatory words.

"God is love and Mr Graham's words often lack love.”

Huw Thomas, assistant priest, Christ Church Pitsmoor

“Sheffield is a welcoming diverse City of Sanctuary. I am proud to see the coming together of faith communities, LGBTQ+ people, trade unionists and others to resist those such as Graham who seek to sow hate and division in our communities. There is no place for his homo/bi/transphobic, Islamaphobic, anti-Hindu, anti-refugee, far-right neo-nazi and terrorist-supporting rhetoric here in Sheffield or anywhere else.”

Heather Patterson, Sheffield Against Hate

“I am a proud Sheffielder and believe in freedom of speech! But freedom of speech should never be used as a reason to spread hate! Or "other" people, like they're less worthy of respect and dignity!”

Vicky Layor, Sheffield Resident

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Editor Notes

Read our community call for support with further details of Franklin Graham’s actions and words here.