Black councillor racially abused on London Underground
A black woman was subject to racial abuse on the London Underground after two men refused to believe she was from the UK.
Julia Ogiehor, a Lib Dem councillor for Muswell Hill, London, was heading home on the Northern line to High Barnet when the men started questioning her nationality.
“They really wanted to know where I was from and did not accept it when I said London,” Ogiehor tweeted, alongside a photo of the men.
She added that they called her “uneducated” and suggested she didn’t belong in the UK, despite the fact she was born and raised in the capital.
Ogiehor said the incident was “unprovoked” and that she had been “minding my business” listening to music when the men started questioning her.
According to these vile pigs, I am not English or from this country and I am uneducated. This was literally unprovoked. I was minding my business listening to my music and just going home. But they really wanted to know where I was from and did not accept it when I said London. pic.twitter.com/uHArfjVO2B
— Julia (@juliaogiehor)
According to the 32-year-old, who has a Master’s degree in commercial law, four passengers intervened, including one man who walked down the carriage and sat next to her.
He asked the men, “Why don’t you ask me where I’m from?” to which they replied, “We know where you’re from – you’re English,” reports the Ham & High.
Ogiehor and several other travellers called the police to report the incident, which took place between Camden and East Finchley on 21 June.
After sharing her experience on Twitter in a post which garnered tens of thousands of likes and retweets, Ogiehor praised the support she had received on the social media platform.
“From the show of support on the Tube, that gave me confidence to stand up for myself, to the overwhelming support on Twitter, the message is clear: bigotry and racism is not welcome here,” she wrote.
“Anyway, am off to the launch of #WindrushDay2019 in Haringey to celebrate the richness that migrants bring to our city and country.”
A British Transport Police spokesperson told The Independent: “Officers from British Transport Police are currently investigating a reported hate crime on board a Northern Line train. The incident happened between Camden and East Finchley.
“A number of enquiries are being made, there have been no arrests at this stage. Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 37 of 22/06/2019.”
