Melbourne, February 8: A racist note was reportedly left on a man’s car in Melbourne’s south-east while he was shopping for groceries at a shopping centre.
The man, who is of Indian background, found the flyer attached to his car’s windscreen after returning from his local Woolworths in Moorabbin. The suburb boasts of 3.7 per cent of its population having been born in India, which is double the national average.
The racist flyer read on the car: “Asians out, Indians out, Australia is full!” according to Junkee.
Written in blue ink with the words ‘out’ and ‘full’ underlined in red, the flyer left the man unnerved, so much so that he did not reveal his identity, lest he be targeted further.
The victim did not speak directly to the media but his friend confirmed the incident occurred on Monday evening.
His friend, who only wished to be identified by her first name, Jasmine, told the online news site Junkee that she feels “outraged.” She said: “I love Australia…and fortunately I have not been a victim of direct racial slurs.”
When asked if she believed the man was deliberately targeted because of his race she said: “Yes of course. He’s Indian.
“I was outraged,” Jasmine told Junkee.
“This person [the victim] is a law abiding, taxpaying, true citizen. What has skin colour to do with anything? Didn’t the Aussies come as immigrants and convicts? Bigotry is cowardice.”
Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Tim Soutphommasane, told Junkee that: “This kind of racist intimidation must be rejected and condemned. It mustn’t be allowed to become part of what is deemed normal or acceptable.”
“The tone of public debates has a powerful effect in signaling what is and isn’t acceptable.
“When public figures endorse prejudice and intolerance, it can embolden a minority of our society to vent their bigotry.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews used his Facebook page to say that this kind of racist intimidation must be rejected and condemned. He wrote: “There’s room in Australia for families of every background. But there’s absolutely no room for this kind of racist crap.”
Shalini Singh