From Waltham Forest GuardianA FRIGHTENED mum-of-two has been left too scared to leave her home after she was allegedly called a ‘nigger’ by a British National Party (BNP) canvasser during a racist tirade in front of her five year old son.
Shirlene Tobin, of St Margaret’s Road, Wanstead, has refused to leave her house since the incident - on Tuesday evening - during which she alleges the female BNP activist told her to ‘come to me because I don’t come to niggers’ when she tried to hand back a political leaflet that was posted through her front door.
The 43 year-old - who works as a nurse at Whipps Cross University Hospital - called the police immediately after the alleged attack at about 7.30pm - which she said has left her fearing for her family’s safety.
She said: “I couldn’t believe what this woman said to me in the middle of the street in front of my son.
“I walked after her to try and give the leaflet back but got a load of racist abuse.
“She told me to run to her because ‘niggers should be used to running.’ “This is the first time I’ve suffered racist abuse like this. I moved to Wanstead from Stratford because it has a special village community character, and then this happens.
“My neighbour has been brilliant and supported me, but I have been unable to leave the house since this happened. I’m worried about what might happen to me and my children.
“My husband is Irish, and black and Irish people in our parents generation suffered abuse like this, but I didn’t think this would happen to me today, in a place like Wanstead.
“My son is on his Easter holidays from school, and we were going to go out and look at the bluebells in the park, but I don’t feel safe to do that now.”
John Evans - who is standing as the BNP candidate in the upcoming Wanstead ward by-election - played down Mrs Tobin’s claims.
He said: “I am aware of this incident but knowing the BNP members in this area as I do I am sure none of them would have done this.
“As our leader Nick Griffin has made clear - anyone found bringing the name of the British National Party into disrepute will be expelled with immediate affect.”
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7 comments:
This is aload of rubbish! The truth of the matter is that a BNP team was peacefully leafleting when a severely agitated black women burst forth from her house clutching a BNP leaflet and proceeded to hurl abuse at the BNP activists - who acted professionally as usual. The BNP activists carried on, regardless of the tirade.
The police then arrived and arrested one of the activists then released her WITHOUT CHARGE. And does she look like the kind of person who who be scared tto come out her home. even though she is pictured out in the street there!!?!
The only witnesses to the incident other than Ms Tobin and the BNP leafletter were BNP activists. It's her against the BNP, so the police are left with little option but not to charge the party activist due to lack of evidence. It may well be true that the BNP activist is innocent, but on the basis of what I've seen of BNP bullying tactics, I am prepared to keep an open mind. Having seen BNP activists stir up ethnic division through their lies, I can understand how Ms Tobin may feel threatened and angry by BNP activism in her community. If you seek to turn people against each other on the basis of colour or religion, then you should be prepared for strong objections and a backlash from those who think that this country will endure and progress when all its citizens are equally valued and from those who feel directly threatened by the nature of your propaganda.
As it is, I think it is better to challenge the BNP in public debate, rather than engage in a slanging match with them on the doorstep. There is no point in wasting your breath arguing with a committed activist of any party.
I can believe it to be honest. They are bullys and they will protect each other against a black lady.
Just because the police didn't have enough evidence to charge doesn't mean it didn't happen. I've known other people who have been insulted and intimidated by BNP activists when they've tried to give leaflets back and protested against receiving their racist material.
I am rather shocked that you didn't put my comment on here. I have said I saw what happened on that day as I was walking towards my car and saw and heard everything that was said. As I have said, I am not a BNP supporter, and I log on this sight a lot. This really is looking as though you do not care whether this happened or not. You just want people to think that it did. Right is right all the world over. And this is not looking good for you at all.
This is the first time a comment has been received from you. Perhaps there was some technical error. We've received lots of abusive comments about Ms Tobin which we cannot publish because they are libellous and racist. Perhaps your comment was accidentally deleted along with these. Whatever happened, it was not intended to silence you. As you can see, we post pro-BNP comments, so long as they stay within acceptable limits, ie no abuse or racist language.
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