Ontario: Amid diplomatic tensions between Canada and India, a video of a Canadian woman verbally abusing an Indian-origin man with racist comments is going viral. The clip grabbed the attention of people online. It sparked a debate about the growing anti-immigrant rhetoric in Canada. Meanwhile, netizens unequivocally said such incidents are unacceptable.
Ashwin Annamalai, an Indian-origin man who holds Canadian citizenship, was walking in Ontario’s Waterloo area when he met with a furious Canadian woman who showed him her middle finger. On confronting her, the woman asked him to go back. She also told him that there were too many Indians in Canada and he should return to his native country. Though Annamalai repeatedly told her that he was Canadian, the woman asked him if his parents and grandparents were Canadian. She also accused him of not knowing how to speak English properly.
Canadian woman spews Indian-origin man with hate rant
The once welcoming community of Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a disturbing rise in hate, particularly against people of colour. Here’s a personal account of what I experienced today: A random woman gave me the finger & spewed hate while I was out for a walk at Erb/Avondale 🧵 1/n pic.twitter.com/TxvXeXW3Yd
— Ashwin Annamalai (@ignorantsapient) October 15, 2024
Annamalai responded by speaking in French, one of Canada’s official languages, and asked her if she knew how to speak French. The woman said she understood the language and walked away cussing the the man.
The video amassed several comments. Many offered their sympathies and apologized to Annamalai on behalf of the woman. In the thread, Annamalai pointed out an increase in the rise of hate crimes in the Waterloo area. “I’m so upset you had to deal with this Ashwin – incredible she can be so brazen and ignorant and get away with it. Utterly unacceptable,” wrote one netizen.
