Racist incidents happen 'over and over again,' activists say after tirade goes viral
CBC
Leaders of a Newfoundland and Labrador anti-racism group say a viral TikTok video of a man's racist and homophobic tirade is just the latest sign that hate-motivated incidents are escalating — and more needs to happen to stop them.
Sobia Shaikh, co-chair of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador, told CBC News the video was disturbing, but not surprising.
"These things are happening over and over again," she said.
According to Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes surged nationally in 2020 and 2021. Shaikh pointed to a pattern of attacks targeting racialized people and religious minorities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Vincent Estick, co-chair of the ARC-N.L. education and training sub-committee, said he wants to see law enforcement and municipal and provincial leaders do more to prevent racism and hate.
"It's this gradual escalation, if you will, of incidences. It will get to the point where there will be a true, a horrible physical altercation. Does that need to happen?" he asked.
The video posted to TikTok shows a man yelling at people offscreen, making homophobic insults and using the phrase "white power." It's not clear when the video was recorded.
In a press release Wednesday, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said it's investigating the incident. The RNC also noted that while there is no "hate crime" offence under the Criminal Code of Canada, there are offences under "hate propaganda."
Shaikh said the statement missed the mark because it focused on the definition of "hate crime" rather than the hatred itself.
"We have to remember that the effects of these crimes, of these acts, are on real people and Black, migrant, Indigenous, racialized people," she said.
"We really aren't seeing a lot of understanding of the impacts on our communities and not just racialized communities, but all of Newfoundland and Labrador."
Shaikh said ARC-N.L. wants municipalities to develop anti-racist policies and publicly respond to racist incidents when they happen.
Shaikh said the coalition has sent letters and asked for meetings with the mayors of St. John's, Conception Bay South and Corner Brook.
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