London, Feb 12 (IANS): In yet another case of racial abuse on a UK train, a 26-year-old Indian-origin woman was subjected to a vicious tirade by an allegedly intoxicated man, highlighting growing concerns over hate speech in public spaces.
The incident unfolded on Sunday as Gabrielle Forsyth was travelling from London to Manchester. During a casual conversation with a fellow passenger, she mentioned her work with a charity supporting immigrants.
This seemingly innocuous remark triggered an aggressive reaction from another passenger, who was drinking from a can and proceeded to launch a xenophobic rant.
A video of the incident, which has since been deleted, captured the man shouting racist remarks at Forsyth and other passengers, boasting about England's colonial past.
"You're in England, you are claiming something. You would not be in England if you weren't claiming something. English people conquered the world and gave it back to you. We conquered India, we didn't want it, we gave it back to you," he stated.
Forsyth, recalling the ordeal, said, "He heard the word 'immigrant' and his immediate reaction was anger and aggression. It was very jarring. I felt strongly that what he said was wrong. It was an insane situation. I recorded it for my own protection."
After posting the video online, Forsyth found herself facing an overwhelming wave of abuse.
"The amount of hate I have received from this one video is insane. I've been called slurs I didn't even know existed. Violent rhetoric and hate speech can now proliferate so easily on X. I care deeply about the rights of people of colour in this country, and I do think we are backsliding," she said.
Forsyth has reported the incident to the British Transport Police (BTP).
She further expressed pride in her heritage, stating, "Being Indian, being the daughter of an immigrant, being in touch with my history and heritage is a blessing. I stand up for myself and for people of colour, and I back us all to the hilt."
This comes just days after another racist confrontation on an Avanti West Coast train, where a woman told an NHS dentist to "go back to your own country."
A video of that incident showed the woman directing racist remarks at a fellow passenger, an NHS dentist, telling him to "go back to Morocco or Tunisia."
The dentist, who was born in the UK, responded, "Why would you say that? That's so disrespectful. I was born here. Were you born here?" To which the woman dismissively replied, "Doesn't look like it."
When he firmly told her, "Do not ever disrespect me like that," she retorted with, "Serves you right."
These back-to-back incidents have sparked fresh concerns about rising intolerance and racial abuse in public spaces across the UK.