Arrest over video of 'racist rant'

The BBC News website is reporting that the woman that features in the video embedded below has arrested.

It looks like the video was shot on a mobile phone. I wonder if the police would have bothered to investigate if they hadn't been under pressure as a result of this video circulating on social

www.bbc.co.uk...

Arrest over video of 'racist rant' on Croydon to Wimbledon tram

The clip shows a woman swearing at passengers on the tram

A woman has been arrested after an online video apparently showed a woman abusing ethnic minority passengers on a packed south London tram.

See also:
img.ibtimes.com...

A video featuring a woman launching into a racist rant on a south London tram has gone viral less than 24 hours after it was posted online.

The two-and-a-half-minute clip, which shows a white woman hurling verbal abuse at black, Polish and foreign commuters on board the tram, has sparked unprecedented outrage since it surfaced online.

Complaints have flooded in from across the country after social networks and Blackberry Messenger helped the offensive clip circulate.

I found this news interesting in terms of making me think about how new technologies may affect social behaviour and law enforcement. Will we see a reduction in overt racism given the increasing prevalence of people carrying cameras and recording devices in the form of mobile phones?

That was of course very distasteful, but what did she do that was cause enough to be arrested? I am not familiar with British laws, so maybe they are different from here in America, as we can say whatever we want as long as we don't threaten anyone.

Plenty of hate-mongers have said much worse at their "rallies." Her language was incredibly arrogant and misinformed, and the only thing I could muster to say in her defense is that I understand her frustration at having a country you love overrun with immigrants, but racial slurs, etc, are not the way to get your point across.

I do not like the influx of immigrants into the US, but it has nothing to do with their race or ethnicity. It is simply because there are enough people here already, and the people already here do not need more competition for jobs, especially from people who will work for much less money than is actually legal.

So the racial part of her rant I do not support, nor the insulting comments, but the immigration part I understand. I thought she was a pretty sick person, but as I said, I don't think she should be arrested.

The idiot making the rant is obnoxious, but what made my stomach turn is the young white girl who walked across to hug the young black guy when he was getting upset at what he was hearing. That irritates me, because I never see it happen with anyone except blacks. I am not a racist by any stretch of the term, but nor do I think blacks are entitled somehow to special sympathy and caring when they are are made uncomfortable by the remarks of others. Think of all the other people who are degraded and belittled on a regular basis--fat people, redheaded guys, christians, etc. and so forth--I don't see anyone rushing over to give them a hug when they are upset. I don't like seeing blacks degraded, but neither do I like seeing them coddled. It pisses me off.

reply to post by IsaacKoi

What an ignorant B#tch!,what hope has that poor kid got with a mother like that!

Originally posted by JiggyPotamus
That was of course very distasteful, but what did she do that was cause enough to be arrested? I am not familiar with British laws, so maybe they are different from here in America, as we can say whatever we want as long as we don't threaten anyone.

Here in England, we don't have the equivalent of your First Amendment protecting free speech.

We have various offences (e.g. harassment) for which the punishment is greater if it involves racism.

Our prosecution authority (the CPS) has the following fact-sheet on its website, which helps explain the legal position here:

www.cps.gov.uk...

What are 'racially aggravated' offences?
Racially aggravated offences are offences where the offender shows or is driven by racial hostility. They are offences where:
At the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrates hostility towards the victim based on the victim's membership (or presumed membership) of a racial group;
Or the offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by hostility towards members of a racial group based on their membership of that group.

Which offences can be racially aggravated?
Racially aggravated offences for assault, criminal damage, harassment and public order were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998:

Assaults
malicious wounding or grievous bodily harm (Section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861)
actual bodily harm (Section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861)
common assault.
Criminal Damage
destroying or damaging property belonging to another (Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971)
Harassment
harassment (Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
intimidation - putting people in fear of violence (Section 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
racially aggravated harassment (Section 32(1)(a) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998)

Public Order offences
fear or provocation of violence (Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986)
intentional harassment, alarm or distress (Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986)
harassment, alarm or distress (Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986)
...

How are racially aggravated offences treated?
When racial motivation or hostility is proved to be a factor in a criminal offence this increases the seriousness of the offence and results in a heavier sentence. The court must state openly that the offence was racially aggravated.

My personal perception is also that we take racism more seriously in England than is done in the USA.

I can guarantee you one thing. If someone was yelling stuff like that on a train in the states, they would have forcibly removed the child and ripped her limb from limb.

...then called her a terrorist.

Freedom of speech anyone??????

O no call the thought police over a youtube video.

She seems drunk/high

reply to post by iamhobo


Uhhh what part of the USA do you live in? Because that wouldn't happen........Why would she be labeled a terrorist?

Makes 0 sense



This is more likely to happen on a racial situation on a bus in the USA

reply to post by IsaacKoi


She should have been arrested.
For inciting to riot and child endangerment.
I don't mind if a person wants to be an ignorant racist, that is their opinion.
But as soon as their idiocy becomes a danger to others, and or their children that are sitting in their lap, they have a problem.
Good for the police on this one.

(Edit)

So, are the PTB trying to stir up the racist card in the UK?
It certainly failed here in the US, thank Goddess.