Man arrested after racist rant video in east London goes viral
A man has been arrested after footage went viral over a verbal racist attack in a town centre.
Havering Police said the 55-year-old man remains in custody after he was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences on Sunday evening.
It comes after the circulation online of what the force described as “distressing” footage of a group of women being racially abused as they walked through Romford in east London on Saturday afternoon.
The women, some of whom were wearing hijabs and pulling shopping trolleys, are heard being forced to defend themselves when a white man in glasses approached them on South Street and launched his tirade.
He can be seen following them down the busy shopping district, loudly shouting and gesticulating at the group as they try to walk away.
In the viral clip, posted by Redbridge Community Action Group (RCAG), he swears and calls the group ‘Muslim traitors’.
One of the women begs him to stop harassing one of the victims, he hits back: “Firing Katyusha rockets into Israel you think that’s normal? We don’t want you here.”
He then tells them to “F*** off back to England.” He then corrects himself: “F*** away from England.”
Vaseem Ahmed, 55, was at a Free Palestine demonstration outside Barclays bank in the high street.
He said as police arrived the group of activists split up with the women being confronted by the man as they walked home.
He told The Independent: “I know those women from other demonstrations. I was shocked in the way it happened, but then not shocked at the same time. Islamophobic attacks have skyrocketed since 7 October.
“A lot of government ministers and even Rishi Sunak refuse to call out Islamophobia when it happens, and people get emboldened.
“We are visibly Muslim, especially women; they become easy targets, that’s the saddest thing.
“I didn’t see anyone intervene. They might have been concerned for their safety, but all you have to do is shout a few times – you don’t have to put yourself in danger. I don’t understand why people stand by and let it happen.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson previously confirmed to The Independent that the force was investigating the confrontation “as a hate crime”.
Anyone with information please call 101, quoting CAD 5105/20APR24
