Dear IRR News subscriber,

This week the IRR’s Jon Burnett has been busy, analysing emerging trends in racially motivated violence and harassment from January – June 2012 and writing a blog for Open Democracy: ‘Abandoned to the far right’.

We mark the start of the London 2012 Olympics with a review of a new resource that aims to raise awareness of human rights abuses of workers who make sporting goods for the Olympics and other events.

In news from across the UK, two serving Metropolitan police officers have been charged with racially aggravated public order offences. The Met police will also be in the news next week as the coroner presiding over the inquest in to the death of Sean Rigg, who died in police custody, is due to begin summing up on Friday (27 July) and there will probably be a verdict by next week (an ‘unlawful killing’ verdict has not been left before the jury).

Harmit Athwal

Editor, IRR News