My best friend has been attacked today.

[Cadela]

She’s Brazilian and white, but because she has an accent whilst we were waiting for a taxi a group of very young, around 10-17 year olds white kids spat on her and started shouting fucking horrific abuse.

Police were there within a minute of our call THANK GOD and loads of people on the street stepped in to help, and if you were in Norwich today on Gentleman’s Walk. - THANK YOU for helping.

I cannot believe it has got to this point where my settled status friend is now having to give statements and recover after having a glass of wine and going home. What the fuck is this county?

'That doesn't happen here' is a problem in a lot of establishments. My own employer is one of those that proudly displays rainbow flags and 'Allies' signatures everywhere, and has seemingly robust anti-racism policies.

Yet I know personally of at least one colleague who encountered homophobia, and another who was racially profiled in their place of work. I was personally sexually harassed and stalked in my workplace, and whilst the employer eventually - and it was a LONG eventually - asked the perpetrator to leave I was gagged from speaking about it under threat of disciplinary action. Yet there are posters everywhere proclaiming 'REPORT, SUPPORT'. Yeah, right.

On all these accounts of harrassment and distress caused to people with protected characterstics, the employer was mostly eager to sweep it under the rug. If you use the term 'duty of care' to them they get rather twitchy, presumably because it signals to them that you know the law, but it's very clear they are less concerned with that duty than with their own image.

FFS! I’m so sorry for your friend OP. This is so beyond NOT OKAY!!! We’re in what I’d consider a nice area and our bus stops were covered in racist slurs written with sharpie yesterday. The poor police officers couldn’t get it off. I went to the closest pharmacy and bought bottles of rubbing alcohol for them. It did the trick. I’ve decided that until this blows over (and after) I will go out of my way to be kind to every person I come across. Even if it’s just a smile to brighten their day. I’m also really hoping that if I have the misfortune of being present during an altercation like this that I’ve just bought myself a lovely hot cup of coffee 😬

@SerafinasGoose you are lucky then as we have a lot of tension where I am with them…it was in the news a few locals attacked them as a result of their anti social behaviour towards young females…

I’m not sure why people go on about racism.

This was a xenophobic attack (the friend was white), just like there has been during the Brexit vote.
And yes it’s still awful and yes the latest events have ALSO re ignited all of that.

(And yes as an EU citizen I do feel very uneasy about it all)

I had a Japanese friend who was pushing her baby in a pushchair. Someone spat on the baby (!) and screamed "Get back to Africa". This was I'm about 2010 so pre-Brexit and riots. If you're white you're often oblivious to all this.

I’m so sorry for your friend @SallyWD This is one of the worst things I’ve read on here ever. They spat on a baby? 😵‍💫

again more evidence to show the current levels of immigration are just an excuse for these extremists. I’m sure there was much less immigration back then and still these things happened.

Just to say that it’s heartwarming to see all those posts saying ‘I’d have stepped up too’.

It’s also worth remembering that some areas have a much higher level of racism. Some of it is very hidden but it also means those people would not be stepping up to protect someone from racism or xenophobia.
i live in of those areas.
Brexit time wasn’t a great time re xenophobic attacks. This isn’t either.

Yes I totally agree it is naive to have thought it was in a town that the riots had been happening. Not thoughtless though, as I said I hadn’t seen any in Norwich but as I explained my white privilege sheltered me. I can only say about my own experiences. I’m not doubting racism is everywhere. I had just expected it to have happened in a town that had already been rioting. It certainly was an eye opener. But that doesn’t mean I’m saying it didn’t happen. Yarmouth voting reform wasn’t a surprise but Norwich always seemed more multicultural to me. Not anywhere as multicultural as London etc but for Norfolk it seemed it to me. Norfolk is very white.