Well this is foul.
One of the self-styled “Muslim patrols” that have been wandering the streets of east London bullying anyone they don’t like posted this one that shows them bullying a man they take to be gay. All the more offensively, they keep mixing “mate” in with their abuse – “you’re a bloody fag mate, get out of it mate, what’s wrong wiv your face mate.”
Ewwww!
Very like Golden Dawn or the BNP.
Sounds a lot like an anti-abortion ‘sidewalk counselor’ at 40 Days For Life, or a street harasser bullying a woman because she’s walking down the street by herself. Amazing how many people think they have a right to demand others conform to their personal code.
Why does “mate” seem offensive from your perspective?
From a London perspective, “mate” is a somewhat friendly word. Ok, here it’s sitting inappropriately in the middle of some abusive harrassment, but if anything, the word “mate” softens the delivery.
Or the SA.
The use of the word ‘Mate’ seemed offensive from my perspective because when sitting in the middle of abusive harassment it comes across as belittling, dismissive and sarcastic.
Calling someone a “friend” while verbally harassing them is passive-aggressive, and in a way more belittling than direct abuse. Like saying something extremely sexist to a woman who you address as “dearie.” It doesn’t soften the delivery, it twists the knife.
Very strange that this video was shot by the abusers themselves. Normally foulness like this on the internet is undercover footage filmed by a sympathetic bystander. Actually filming it on purpose must indicates a higher (or lower) level of bigotry.
Sastra: it indicates the abusers have good reason to believe they’ll get away with what they did, without having to cover it up.
The use of mate is intimidating and aggressive. I haven’t seen the video, but in Oz, if you’re after a fight, or want to intimidate someone, you’ll ‘wan’t a shot at the title, mate?’ or ‘what you looking at mate?’ or some such testosterone laden crap. Mate means friend when it’s used in a friendly context, just as pal, buddy can be nice or nasty. Context.
As repellent as this video is, I would regard the YouTube user with caution. Their avatar is the Flag of England, which has some rather unsavory associations. I wouldn’t be surprised if the BNP has itself a case of fatwa envy.
Hm, I didn’t notice that. I went to the hassle of getting a YouTube version because I know how to embed those and don’t know how to embed non-YT ones.
Speaking as an East Ender myself, Brian’s right in that context is everything.
This is pretty fecked up, though. I’m sad to see this kind of thing going on in my old manor.
As a Londoner the thing that most offends me is the claim that, “this is a Muslim area”. They are actually claiming that some people have no right to walk in public streets.
This is making news now but it’s been going on for a while. Usually the targets are Muslim women whose clothing is not Islamic enough for the morality police’s taste.