MP calls out offensive racist incident in Surrey’s Aspen Park
Posted August 2, 2021 10:23 am.
Last Updated August 2, 2021 8:41 pm.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) — “Shocking and terrible,” that’s how a local MP is describing a racist confrontation in a Surrey park that left a group of South Asian seniors and kids feeling terrified.
A Surrey woman says her grandmother was in the park July 28 when two people approached and began yelling offensive things at the group.
The portion of the incident was captured on video and posted to social media.
She says she heard they also threw garbage at the group, and told them to “go back to India.”
Watch:
“My grandma felt like they were raged to the point that they wanted to kill these women. They wanted to hurt them badly. Like they were shouting it in their faces,” Sahiba Sangha said.
Sangha says when an RCMP officer arrived, her grandmother told her that the officer had invited the children to pick up the garbage.
The Surrey RCMP says they are still trying to gather the full picture of what happened, as the members of the group did not call police.
RCMP did receive a complaint from a third party on Wednesday that a group of men were causing a disturbance and shouting at women in the park.
When the officer arrived, the group had already left, according to Surrey RCMP Sgt. Elenore Sturko.
There were no complaints that anyone was struck by the garbage, but that the officer did pick it up, and while doing so asked the children if they wanted to help.
“They were under no obligation to do so. I think at the time he was just trying to clean up that garbage, defuse the situation, and then move onto his next call,” Sturko said.
She says that with recent media reports surrounding the incident, they have been made aware that a third party had an issue with the way the file was carried out.
“Our officers have made some plans to reach out to that third party and they will be speaking with them later today,” Sturko said. She added that there are officers available who can speak Punjabi, if language is a barrier.
Related Articles:
-
Racist insults hurled at South Asian elders and children in Surrey park
-
Surrey man injured in Kelowna shooting
-
Surrey MLA asking for donations of fans to keep vulnerable cool
“This kind of hate is shocking, and it must be combatted by all of us here in Newton, and across the country where incidents are emerging every day,” Surrey MP Surrey—Newton Sukh Dhaliwal wrote on Twitter. He added, “stand up if you see this happening to others. Do not be a bystander.”
2/3 This kind of hate is shocking, and it must be combatted by all of us here in Newton, and across the country where incidents are emerging every day
Stand up if you see this happening to others. Do not be a bystander#cdnpoli #bcpoli #SurreyBC— Sukh Dhaliwal (@sukhdhaliwal) August 2, 2021
Meantime, the community response against the incident continues to grow.
A “Rally against Anti-Asian Racism” will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Aspen Park to gather the community together to show their support for the victims, and to call for an end to these hateful incidents.
The rally is organized by the Stand with Asians Coalition and the local South Asian community.
Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan also vowed to stand in solidarity with the park goers.
“All children and elderly mothers who have endured this hatred; I promise you and I will not let those who spread hatred win,” The Vancouver South MP wrote on Twitter. The tweet was written in Punjabi.
????: ਉਹਨਾਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਬੱਚਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਬਜੁਰਗ ਮਾਤਾਂਵਾਂ ਜਿਹਨਾ ਇਸ ਨਫਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਝੱਲਿਆ ਹੈ; ਮੈ ਵਾਅਦਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਤੁਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀ ਮਿਲਕੇ ਇਹ ਨਫਰਤ ਫਲਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਨਹੀ ਦੇਣਾਂ। https://t.co/QZXQIfylHa
— Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) August 1, 2021
Plans are underway for a rally to respond to the racism caught on video.
The ‘Stand with Asians Coalition’ is planning an anti-racism rally for 7 p.m. at Aspen Park, which is just off of Highway 10.
