A RACIALLY motivated attack on a Palestinian refugee volunteering at an exhibition celebrating diverse communities has raised concerns over community safety.

The assault took place on Saturday, outside a small gallery in Kemptown hosting The New Union Flag exhibition, as the volunteer was leaving the venue.

He was injured and taken to hospital.

Sussex Police arrested a suspect at the scene but later released them.

The exhibition had been due to open at the public Jubilee Library but was cancelled shortly before by the Labour-led Brighton and Hove City Council.

Stand Up to Racism said an attack would have been far less likely at the secured library.

The New Union Flag is a participatory artwork by Gil Mualem-Doron, reimagining the Union Flag through textiles representing Britain’s diverse communities.

It has been displayed at major institutions, including Tate Modern, and widely in schools, civic buildings and public events.

While it has previously attracted online threats, the assault was the first physical attack on someone connected to the project.

Council chief executive Bella Sankey said the exhibition was cancelled over concerns the reimagined flag could be mistaken for an official council statement and might negatively affect migrants and refugees using the library.

But Mr Mualem-Doron, a Holocaust survivor’s son with lived experience of migration, strongly rejected this, saying the flag was created with refugee contributions and supported by charities.

It was previously exhibited at the library during Refugee Week with council backing and the council had commissioned it for display at city bus stops.

“[The danger is] that this kind of quiet self-censorship is spreading, often dressed up as risk management,” he said.

“When public institutions prioritise discomfort over injustice, the cultural space that sustains democracy begins to shrink.”

Refugee and minority groups have urged councillors to reverse the decision.