Courtney\u2019s TikTok showing part of the train encounter \u2013 video<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/gu-island><\/figure>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think anything of it, I had my earphones in and was just choosing music,\u201d says Courtney. \u201cOut of nowhere, she began making racist remarks, which got progressively louder after she put on a face mask. I stayed quiet because I was genuinely taken aback, you never expect that kind of hostility from a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like many twentysomethings, Courtney vlogs parts of her day for TikTok. \u201cBut what prompted me to start recording was when she took out a Dettol disinfectant spray and sprayed it in my direction. At that point, I felt I needed to document what was happening for my own safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman eventually moved seats but continued to verbally harass Courtney, telling her: \u201cGo back to your own country.\u201d<\/p>\n
At this point, some fellow passengers stepped in to support her. She recognises that not everyone is comfortable in a direct confrontation but advises: \u201cThe most helpful thing by far is to show the targeted person that they\u2019re not alone. Just standing beside the person or checking in with them can completely change how supported they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it has gotten \u2018worse\u2019 is hard to say, but people seem more emboldened now, especially when they think no one will challenge them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Akeela Ahmed, the chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, said the data echoes the stories her organisation are picking up all over the country and calls on local authorities, transport operators and community safety partners \u201cto take urgent and meaningful action\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor visible Muslims in particular, the top deck of a bus or a half-empty train carriage can mean threatening behaviour, verbal abuse or even violent attack simply because of their faith,\u201d said Ahmed.<\/p>\n
Attacks on public transport reported to the trust are \u201csome of the most complex and distressing cases we have handled to date,\u201d she adds. \u201cMany Muslims now feel compelled to micro-analyse every movement, expression or gesture out of fear that it may be misinterpreted, recorded and weaponised against them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost alarming is that a significant number of these physical and verbal assaults have targeted children travelling to and from school \u2026 the lack of CCTV coverage on buses and at many stops means perpetrators routinely evade accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
While racist hate crime is still under-reported, published figures are probably the tip of the iceberg, according to Carol Young, the deputy director of the Scottish anti-racism charity Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. \u201cAnecdotally, we know that using public transport may not feel safe for everyone and some people may avoid using it or restrict their use to certain times of day.\u201d<\/p>\nDave Rich, the head of policy at the Community Safety Trust, said: \u201cAlthough these figures are for all racial and religious hate crime on public transport, it is telling that the recent increase over the past two years aligns with the rise in antisemitic hate crime since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October of that year. This is an ongoing problem that shows no signs of abating and it is vital that police, the CPS and transport operators are doing everything they can to catch and prosecute perpetrators of this hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: \u201cAbuse, intimidation and violence \u2013 especially that which is motivated by hate \u2013 will never be tolerated, and we have acted swiftly and decisively when we receive reports of hate crimes on the rail network.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are a victim of hate crime, or if you witness an incident that makes you feel uncomfortable, please do not suffer in silence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Racial #religious #hate #crime #public #transport #growing #data #shows #Hate #crime<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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