Racial bus tirade witness cops abuse

22 Nov 2012, 12:15 pm   -   Source: Andy Park, AAP
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As detectives seek those captured on a viral video in a racial abuse incident on a Melbourne bus, the French woman targeted says it could happen anywhere, writes Andy Park. 

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As video of a racial abuse incident aboard a Melbourne bus goes viral, a YouTube user identified as the French woman targeted by the abuse said it could happen anywhere.

"I don't want to fuel hatred or anything, I will not judge Australians or foreigners on the same one and the same person," a poster called "Fanny0403" wrote.

The quote was attributed by AAP to Fanny Desaintjores, the 22-year-old French woman who was subjected to the racist tirade.

"We find idiots everywhere, even in France, this man was alcolisé, I didn't understand everything, but I preferred to keep quiet," she wrote.

"It was an incident that could happen anywhere even in France so I don't judge you in any country. Just the dangers of alcohol and drugs."

She signed off " The French girl on the bus".

POLICE INVESTIGATE

Police are now actively searching for those captured in the video.

Acting Sergeant Julie-Anne Newman from Victoria Police said the incident was only reported to police today.

“Transit and Public Safety Command detectives are investigating a report that two men and a woman made verbal threats and racist taunts towards a group of women travelling on a bus on Remembrance Day,” she said.

“A witness was able to video-record some of the incident with a mobile phone and has provided the footage to investigators”

SBS understands that more video captured by witness Mike Nayna, not included in his version on YouTube, has also been provided to police.

Mr Nayna told SBS News that before he was able to remove his personal phone numbers from his YouTube channel, which he runs with his stand-up comedy partner, they themselves received harassing and abusive phone calls.

“They just rang up and yelled 'c***' and hung up,” he said.

His YouTube video had only 301 views on Tuesday. Today, it has close to a million.

A CRIMINAL OFFENCE?

Dr Anna Chapman from Melbourne University’s School of Law is a racial discrimination expert.

“The act is called the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, Victoria 2001 and there have been very few criminal prosecutions, but none the less there are [criminal] provisions,” she said.

“There are two aspects to the criminal offence, the offender must know their conduct is liable to incite hatred and the offender has to threaten physical harm to the person or their property.

“From what I’ve seen [in the video], there is certainly the threat of physical harm to her. It looks like there is probably a criminal offence here.”

Dr Chapman said the statute provides a maximum penalty of around $8,400 dollars and/or six months prison.

Investigators are appealing for anyone who was involved in the incident or has any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.

Racial Abuse

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Generational racism

Sue Nicholson - from Fairlight, 1 month

I witnessed a group of young boys abusing an Indian male who managed a fast food restaurant. I was with my 12 yo daughter who asked me to say something, so I did. I told them off like a mother would tell off their child, but unfortunately it's quite probable their behaviour is something that has been learnt from their parents. I doubt my words would change their thinking, however it may make them think twice before doing it again.

what is the full story?

Wampy - from Melbourne, 6 months ago

there's something not right about this story, what happened before the video commenced? What was said to incur such a vile response? Why did the guy with the pram think his wife had been abused? Still, the reactions by a few were totally unacceptable. This is the environment of confrontation that has been encouraged by certain politicians over the last 5 years, and if I hear that Aussie chant one more time I think I'll vomit.

Singing in French does not mean she is NOT Aussie and reaction was vicious

FranklySpeaking - from Rowville Needs Railway, 6 months ago

Many Aussies are bilingual and that is NOT an office. The vicious reaction like pitbulls is disgusting and criminal. I know of an Asian woman verbally abused by white schoolgirls on a bus and she was better educated than them in the English language! When disembarking, she fired back that they were immigrants, too, and not Aborigines. The were speechless! The driver did nothing.

Where do you draw the line?

J - from Perth, 6 months ago

So what one post is saying is that the girls provoked this vicious racist abuse by singing. Do you also think the extent of the abuse was proportional to the provocation? And at what point do you draw the line? Is cheering at an AFL game enough provocation to be racially abused? Should all brown people be unheard and have to tiptoe on egg shells to avoid provoking racist abuse?

acism is bigger than you guys think

Joseph Obeid - from Brisbane, 6 months ago

the problem is it alwasys seems to be focused on racism by white people. There is also racism between Africans, between Indians, between Asians. And what about Israel for that matter? It is a country whose settlement policy is based on genetics. No sympathy for the nasty aggressive people on the bus but still sick of the one sided view that is so quick with racism term.

Safety not racism.

Charmaine - from Formerly of Melbourne, 6 months ago

This is not about racism, it's about the fact that women are not safe on public transport in Melbourne. If it had been a train rather than a bus anything could have happened to the woman. You have only to look at the recent spate of murders involving women to know that lack of law and order and the tendency toward alcohol and drug abuse has made Melbourne and the whole of Australia unsafe for women.

@De Silva

Another Michael - from Brisbane , 6 months ago

While I agree that it makes sense to be polite and respectful on public transport, it doesn't make sense to go into victim blaming as could be read from your message. Singing may draw attention and come across as uncouth, but it is hardly a call for threats of the kind seen in the video. The people in the video are just awful and need to be stopped - they have no place in Australian society and should be removed by whatever means is necessary.

A Video Response

Adam Francis - from Melbourne, 6 months ago

Here is my video response to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW7cJgKOJds Please feel free to leave comments.

World News

Flossy - from Perth, 6 months ago

Not exactly World News headline story!

Let's Behave

Rolf - from Melbourne, 6 months ago

As far as I know, poor and rich, black or white, expect immigrants to behave in a respectful manner. Based on the video, there was in fact racial abuse, but we need to realize that sing or speak loudly in your mother language does not help. We must fit and adapt to their culture. I am an International student and have never experienced anything like that. If you ask me, I would be upset too, if I saw immigrants in my Country misbehaving.

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