The video posted on the Web by blogger Stella Kaziyake went around the Russian media and social networks. In it, a bus passenger in St. Petersburg openly insults a black girl, calling her a "monkey". Moreover, he does not allow her to transfer to another seat, or even get off the bus, blocking the exit.
“I was silent, tried not to react, then I just moved forward, he came up to me, sat down and started taking pictures without asking. I said no, that's enough. He still sat down, did not let me out. I didn’t like that I sat down very close”, - said Stella.
Moreover, the passengers of the bus quietly listened to the racist all this time, not even trying to reason with him. And only one young man, finally, stood up for Stella, helped her to move to another place. True, this did not help - the racist followed her and continued to shout insults.
“He didn’t smell of alcohol, most likely he was under something. The eyes were inadequate. Only an inadequate person behaves like this”, - the girl writes.
Only after this video went around Runet, the prosecutor's office became interested in the racist, after which it turned out that the inadequate passenger, whose name is Nikita Ustyuzhanin, had previously been convicted of rape, so Stella, one might say, was still lucky. Now he faces 15 days of arrest or community service.
Alas, this is not the first time Stella has encountered racism in Russia: “Both children and adult men call names. Women, thank God, adequate. But I have been living here in St. Petersburg for 28 years. My family fled Rwanda when I was one year old, my family was fleeing the genocide”.
However, the problem is not in this, but in the reaction of passengers. Here is what journalist Stanislav Kucher writes about this:
- Well, let's say that not everyone heard there, and those who heard preferred not to contact the dude for security reasons. But who now prevents those Russians who watched this video (Petersburgers and not only) from directing their righteous indignation not against those who publish it, but in a truly constructive direction and publicly stand up for the girl? Condemn specifically this manifestation of racism and rudeness, demand a fair investigation? Show - not in words, but in deeds - that "this is not all of Russia"...
However, social networks supported the girl, especially noting her composure and courage in this extremely unpleasant situation:
- How hard it is to resist insulting the offender in response, but this is a worthy response of a person and a beautiful girl, to someone who has not yet become a person. Let these works or arrest become a reason for him, if not to understand, then at least to control his wildness...