- From: Herald Sun
- April 12, 2013
FURIOUS passengers united to take a stand against racism on a Melbourne train as a woman exploded in a hateful rant on Wednesday night.
In a show of force against the vile diatribe, in which she called an African man a “black —-“, one of two commuters who had been shoved by the thug publicly denounced her racist taunts.
“This is not the Australia that she represents. None of this s— should be remembered after this,” the man said aloud to the other passengers.
In a touching sign of solidarity, a blond man told the woman, “If this is your country, then I don’t want to live here”, before shaking the hand of the other commuter.
Andrea, one of several people filming the scene, said she boarded the Craigieburn line train at Flinders St at 9.50pm and heard the woman begin to yell.
In the footage, the woman can be heard saying: “My grandfather was a sergeant in the Second World War.
“This is what us original Aussies fought for, to keep you black —– out.”
Andrea said the African man put his hand on the woman’s shoulder, to which she responded: “Get off me, you f—— black p—-.”
Several passengers then converged on the woman, telling her to shut up.
Seemingly shocked by the backlash, the woman said: “I’m being called a racist b—- in my own country.”
Andrea said she was impressed by the composure of the African man, the blond man and the man who confronted the woman after they copped the brunt of the poisonous outburst.
“It was impressive to see people stand up to her, rather than just sit back, as in similar incidents that have hit the media.”
The woman confronts passengers on the train.
Racism on Melbourne public transport achieved global notoriety after a man, egged on by several others, screeched violent threats at a French woman on a city-bound bus from Frankston in November.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said Protective Services officers escorted the 37-year-old South Melbourne woman off the train at North Melbourne station and interviewed her.
Her companion, a 44-year-old Meadow Heights man, was searched and given a drug diversion notice after he was found to have illegal substances.
Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said while it was admirable strangers had stood up to defend others against racism, the incident further highlighted the need for staff, such as PSOs, to patrol trains as well as station platforms.
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