A white woman's efforts to defend an Indian man from being harassed by a racist at work have triggered a debate on social media about racism. While a section of online users are praising the unidentified woman for taking a stand, others have been questioning the nationality of the abuser.
The viral video of the incident shows a presumably Indian man working as a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) supervisor being filmed by a man when the unidentified woman blocked the camera with her and told the harasser, "Leave him alone! Leave him alone. Really?!"
"It's a free country. I can take the video I want. Don't touch my phone," the man replied, to which the woman responded: "That is so unnecessary. He is working! Get out of his face."
As the argument escalated, the TTC supervisor tried to pacify the woman as she continued to defend him and cried, "My boyfriend is Indian."
The video has garnered more than five lakh views.
In a similar incident in Canada, an Indian couple was harassed by a teen who was later charged for racial slurs and death threats. The incident took place at the parking lot of Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough on July 29.
The footage shows three young men in a pickup truck blocking the couple's vehicle while hurling profanities, racial slurs, and obscene insults.
“Hey, big nose, you know it’s not illegal to go in front of your vehicle and h*** you. Did I touch you? Did I touch you, yes or no? Answer my question, you f***ing Indian," one of the men was heard saying.
One man even got out of the vehicle, shouted insults, and aggressively humped the couple’s car while the man tried to record their license plate and was heard instructing someone to call the police. The video quickly went viral, sparking widespread condemnation and demands for justice.
Following an investigation, Peterborough police arrested an 18-year-old from Kawartha Lakes and charged him with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on September 16.
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