A GROUP of around 30 activists from the Stand up to Racism campaign protested in Oxford city centre tonight against Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister.

They accused the MP and Conservative leadership frontrunner of a ‘long track of making racist statements’.

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Mr Johnson is expected to win an election among the Tory membership against Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and move into Downing Street on Wednesday.

Oxford Mail: Boris Johnson. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire.Boris Johnson. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire.

Oxford’s Stand up to Racism branch organised a picket in the city centre to express their disappointment.

Activists handed out leaflets and waved banners, which stated 'No to racism. No to Boris Johnson', 'No to racism. No to Trump' and 'No more racists in number 10'.

Oxford Mail: Stand up to Racism protest in OxfordStand up to Racism protest in Oxford

Ian McKendrick, spokesman for Oxford Stand up to Racism, said: "We've got a government that resorted to racism to divert attention away from austerity.

"It wants ordinary people to blame Muslims, migrants and refugees for social problems that were actually created by this government.

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“Now we're faced with a new Prime Minister who has got a long track of making racist statements, so we should be extremely worried.

"Boris Johnson is a part of that process, he is legitimising racism. 

Oxford Mail: Stand up to Racism protest in OxfordStand up to Racism protest in Oxford

“When you have racist leaders, racism on the top of society, it gives confidence to racists to be more bold, to come out and attack people verbally and physically."

Campaigners didn't support Mr Hunt either, naming him a 'scourge of the NHS' who has 'backed Donald Trump retweeting racist Katie Hopkins' attacks on on Sadiq Khan and 'Londonistan''.

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Pedestrians on High Street seemed to largely support the protest.

Younger people took selfies to post on social media while other passersby signed a letter of support listing Mr Johnson’s statements, which include describing Muslim women as ‘letter boxes’, calling Africans ‘piccaninnies’ with ‘water melon smiles’ and gay men ‘tank-topped bumboys’.

Oxford Mail:

Emma, 29, from Abingdon, said: “Of course I support this action.

"I’ll keep this leaflet, so when someone tells me that Mr Johnson is not that bad, or something like that I’ll be ready to react."

She added: “For me the most shocking quote is the last one: ‘voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts’.

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“I didn’t know that he said that. It’s unbelievable that he did and even more so, that this kind of a person can become a Prime Minister in 2019.

"I don't know how to describe it without being extremely rude."