A reader tells of day to day racism in Glasgow.

After reading the IRR’s report Racial violence: the buried issue, ‘it struck a chord with me … I am white but my partner is African, my child mixed race. We live in Glasgow. We encounter a lot of threatening abuse even when just waiting at bus stop. I am so afraid to be with my son in public places, I just tend to stay home or if we go out, we use taxis rather than public transport.

Two weeks ago, in the city centre, coming home for a swimming lesson, at the bus stop … one Scottish white man shouted at me, in front of my child, that ‘My father died for this country. If he was alive, he would f******g shoot you for having n****r child”. I was so annoyed I told him that if his father was alive today, am sure he would be shooting him for coming out with such useless and wicked comment.

And then tonight, on the way to the train station, in a town outside Glasgow, two men tanked up started shouting racist abuse to my child – aggressively and threatning calling him “f*****g black head, get the f**k out of here”.

My child is innocent, not streetwise … not rough or exposed … but sadly he is hearing what people are saying, and when they say it, they say it with aggression and insult, and my fear is that these idiots can attack us with a knife.

The building where we live is multi-cultural … but someone keeps posting Daily Mail articles up on the main door, blaming immigrants for problems in the UK, for NHS waiting time, etc.

Many of our friends in BME communities can tell you that there is a hellish experience concerning racism every day. My Indian friend was out with our children, when a skinhead chased them in Glasgow … her child did not have a clue what they were shouting but she said my child’s face was full of terror and fear on hearing the hastening footsteps behind them with the swearing and angry tones.

The British government is to blame for stoking up racism … media reports are based on lies not facts and this makes matters worse.

God help us, but we are trying to be strong when faced with anger, prejudice and the ignorance of stupid miserable violent people.’

Related links

Read the IRR Briefing Paper ‘Racial Violence: The Buried Issue’