A tale of two racists

Christine said she held a misguided belief that New Zealand's social justice record was still intact, but sadly she was soon disgusted and angered by two drunken white males who sat behind her at the game. To make matters worse she had been separated from her husband and teenage son who had to sit in another section of the stand because they couldn’t secure tickets together in the capacity crowd.

She said approximately 10 minutes into the game these racists used vile language that not only extended to Maori players (coons and monkeys) on the field but to the Chinese people (slanty-eyed mongrels) who sat around her in the family stand.

“I sat there feeling physically ill, my heart pounding, my face burning with anger, I thought of you both (Rhonda and me) and thought what you would do in these circumstances,” she said in an emotive tone.

“It is just not in me to sit back and allow social injustice to happen: I turned to the two racists and said calmly; ‘I am offended by the racist rhetoric and foul language that you are using, and find what you are saying is unacceptable and illegal, I am asking you to desist this racist rhetoric now’.”

Christine said her comments where met with an increase in offensive language that also turned noticeably sexist in nature with comments of “Go back into the kitchen where you belong you stupid bitch”.

Persistently, and I might add courageously, Christine informed us that she once again turned to the two racists and said, "I have asked you to desist, if you continue with this language I will find someone with more authority than me to have you removed".

She said her comments didn’t “go down well” - after all these racists had paid “$65 per ticket and I suspect a lot of money on alcohol and were watching their favourite sport live,” and there she was threatening to have them removed. However, after her second verbal tussle Christine commented that “their racist rhetoric increased and they started to become physically abusive by digging their knees into my back”.

On feeling considerable pain from the knees pounding her back she rose to her feet again and said "I warned you" and got up and descended the stairs where she located the police and promptly asked to have them removed.

The police spoke to the two racists giving them a warning and explaining that a complaint had been made, and that if they did not desist from using racist and sexist language they would be removed from the stand.

Christine said the police spoke to her in front of the racists and explained if their behaviour continued she should contact them and they would be removed.

After the police left the stand she said the racists’ diatribe increased as did the physical abuse with her back and shoulders now being pushed and the hood of her jacket being yanked.

Resolutely Christine said she turned to the racists and said "I warned you" and once again walked down the stairs to report events to the police. She said a security guard on hearing the commotion asked if she would like to be shifted to which she said "I don't think so - move them".