00:00Newcastle City Council is backing this year's Wear Red Day with the Time Bridge and Civic Centre due to be
00:06lit red on October 16th.
00:07The annual event is organised by Show Racism the Red Card which uses education and sport to challenge racism.
00:13The charity says it works in schools, workplaces and sports clubs across the UK.
00:18The Newcastle announcement comes after Sunderland City Council ended its formal association with the charity last month.
00:24Gateshead Councils also rejected a request to light the Millennium Bridge Red for the event.
00:27Both councils are led by Reform UK.
00:30Reform councillors in Sunderland said the decision was not a move away from opposing racism or discrimination,
00:35but they argued that the charity had increasingly become involved in activity they considered political.
00:41Gateshead's reform group made a similar argument when explaining its decision.
00:45Show Racism the Red Card rejects that characterisation.
00:47Its chief executive Jed Greby says the organisation's a broad church rather than a political organisation and welcomes support from
00:54different parties.
00:56Newcastle's Liberal Democrat Council leader Colin Ferguson said the city had a long association with the charity
01:01and described Wear Red Day as an opportunity to bring communities together.
01:05The charity was established in 1996 with Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop among those who helped get it started.
01:12Newcastle says its two landmarks will be part of the public display, while Sunderland and Gateshead will not provide the
01:17requested council backing.
01:18The disagreement has put the three councils on different sides of a regional debate over racism.
01:23The charity says the day is designed to raise awareness and funds for its education work challenging racism in schools
01:28and communities.
01:29What's happening, please!
01:29Nice!"
