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A number of posters with the phrase "it's okay to be white" have appeared around Bristol city centre since Monday.

The posters, which feature no other messaging or branding, have been criticised on social media and by residents.

Students from the University of Bristol have taken to Twitter to express their anger.One said: These posters have been put up on campus. My university, ladies and gentlemen.

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A University of Bristol spokesperson toldThe Independentthey were asking people to take them down and contact security services if seen on university premises, although said currently they are only aware of those in the wider city.

A lecturer in criminology from the University, Dr Victoria Canningtold The Independent that she first saw one of the messages on a lamppost in Park Street in central Bristol on Tuesday morning. She walks the route regularly and hadnt seen it before.

I really dont want to give it airtime but this is obviously following on from things like the appearance of Laurence Fox on Question Time, there is a correlation, she says. Dr Canning says she heard other posters were elsewhere but were removed quickly by students.

A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London.

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Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'.

AFP/Getty

An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism.

Getty

People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna.

Twitter/Wriseup

Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow.

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An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'.

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Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris.

EPA

Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Getty

A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens.

AP

Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre.

Getty

Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism.

Getty

A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'.

Getty

Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London.

Getty

A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris.

EPA

Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens.

AP

A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London.

Getty

Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'.

AFP/Getty

An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism.

Getty

People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna.

Twitter/Wriseup

Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow.

Getty

An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'.

Getty Images

Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris.

EPA

Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Getty

A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens.

AP

Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre.

Getty

Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism.

Getty

A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'.

Getty

Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London.

Getty

A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris.

EPA

Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens.

AP

The its okay to be white messaging originated on internet forum 4/Chan in 2017 and was conceived as a US poster campaign to create a left-wing media backlash in response to a harmless message.

The posters appeared at universities across America, including the University of California, University of Washington and University of Regina in Canada.

They were widely supported by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, as well as alt-right figures including former Klu Klax Klan grand wizard David Duke.

The sightings in Bristol are the first time they have appeared in England, after a brief spate in Scotland: in Dundee in September 2019 and then Perth in December. Police Scotland confirmed they were looking into the matter.Scotland's deputy first minister John Swinney condemned them.

Dr Canning says the posters need to be criticised even if outrage does play directly into the hands of the creators.

She says: To try and orchestrate outrage to then suppress it is a form of social silencing the very people who point the finger and say you are hysterical are the ones creating these mechanisms to silence us because no one wants to speak out against them.

She also disagrees with the idea that the slogan is a harmless message. This is only a harmless message if we choose to ignore structural inequalities. We dont live in an era of equality.

There has to be a recognition by society that although white working classes can experience problems, such as the impact of austerity, these are largely economic problems. For non-white people they experience additional problems of criminalisation and racism, like stop and search.

Saying that is not to say that [white people] dont experience social harms but there are specific things that white people do not experience, she says.

Dr Canning says it concerns her that the white victim construct - which was previously restricted to far-right narratives - is becoming more widely accepted by disillusioned people.

In times of austerity we arent looking up for the people causing us problems but looking around us and those fractures grow.

I remember years ago there were protests at the suggestion Nick Griffin would go on Question Time as a representative of the BNP. Things have shifted since then, she adds.

Dr Canning says it is also interesting that they have chosen to post them in Bristol. It is interesting that someone has chosen to put it up in Bristol which is generally seen as a liberal, left-leaning city, she says.

The slogan was also used on t-shirts sold by British far-right political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, and has been tied to the All Lives Matter campaign.

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Its okay to be white posters put up in Bristol city centre - The Independent