Love might have been in the air for a few hours yesterday, but hateful phrases such as “let them drown” or “kill the gays” remain rampant throughout the year.

In a bid to curb hate speech, three entities are putting up posters at bus stops to raise awareness about this growing crime.

The No Hate Speech campaign is one of the Council of Europe’s priorities for 2014, so SOS Malta, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the American Embassy joined forces to create awareness on a national level.

“The fact that hate speech is here, as in every other place, means that it has to be tackled and addressed. We cannot hide from it,” US Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley told this newspaper when asked whether she was concerned that hate speech was on the rise.

During the awareness campaign’s launch at the Umberto Colosso School in Santa Venera, Ms Abercrombie-Winstanley quoted the late Nelson Mandela’s words that people were not born knowing how to hate.

“We have all been there no matter what we look like, what language we speak or whom we love,” she said.

“We all have a responsibility to say it’s not right and stand up for vulnerable people who face intolerance and violence, like migrants, LGBT and people with disabilities,” she said, adding people had to make a conscious decision to say it was not acceptable.

We have a responsibility to say it’s not right

Posters pointing out that hate speech is a crime and raising awareness about its consequences are being put up on bus shelters in English and Maltese.

One of the banners headlined ‘Words Matter’ highlights phrases like “beat up the retard” and “let them drown”.

SOS Malta CEO Claudia Taylor East urged businesses to join in as they want to develop online blogging against hate speech.

SOS Malta is the fund operator for the NGO Programme in Malta, which aims to strengthen the European No Hate Speech movement.

“Together we can counteract discrimination, hate speech and ultimately hate crime.

“Let’s make an impact for the most vulnerable,” she said.

This was reiterated by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ CEO Miriam Teuma, who said hate speech had no place in Maltese life and urged students to promote the campaign.

Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Stefan Buontempo urged young people subjected to abuse to speak up and referred to kellimi.com – an online service that provides free, confidential support to those who have no one to turn to during difficult times.