Miami Heat attack ‘hateful’ speech after Trump’s lies about Haitians

The Miami Heat have issued a statement defending the Haitian community amid rumours and threats from the far right in the US.

The NBA team posted a message of support on social media on Monday amid false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have eaten pets and wildlife.

"The Miami HEAT staff, like Miami itself, is a diverse and brilliant mix of vibrant cultures, including members of our Haitian community," the team wrote in the statement. "The false narrative around them is hurtful and offensive and has sadly made innocent people targets of hateful speech and physical threats. Our Haitian employees, fans and friends deserve better."

The Heat ended the statement by writing: "ansanm nou kanpé fò", or "together we stand strong" in Haitian creole.

Miami has a large Haitian community, many of them based in the neighbourhood of Little Haiti.

The widely debunked lies around the Haitian community in Ohio were amplified when they were repeated by Donald Trump during his television debate with Kamal Harris last week.

"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," said Trump. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there."