By Ben Kerrigan-
Two videos of Spanish nationals being violently assaulted in separate incidents in the UK have gone viral in Spain, fuelling speculation the attacks could be linked to Brexit.
The first of the viral video which was recorded in May, shows a British man hitting 27-year-old Tomás Gil, from Valencia, in the face with a wooden plank after shouting at him to “speak English”. It was released this month after the assailant was convicted of assault and bodily harm.
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The news is an embarrassment to British society, though this incident should not be seen as representative of the British people. There were a few similar incidents of racism in the UK shortly after the Brexit referendum. The wide sharing of the attack on youtube does not look good, however, can the Spanish really say they have never had incidences that reflect racism?
Most likely not. However, people often focus on only the information before them that shows the failings and weaknesses of others, even when they themselves or people from their part of the world are guilty of similar offences. This doesn’t change the fact that racist conduct never reflects well on the guilty parties, who represent their country badly every time they are caught.
The guilty verdict against Ms Ahmed coincided with a second incident, in which a man was filmed punching 31-year-old Bangladeshi, Jubair Ahmed, in the face as he travelled through east London with his Spanish wife Kilian.
Ms Ahmed is shown chasing down the attacker, who got off the train at Upton Park, east London, and was teasing him in Spanish. It is no surprise that the video went viral in Spain because it gives an impression of the British climate towards EU national post-Brexit.
37-year-old Daniel Way was convicted of the first attack, which happened in Bournemouth on 19 May, after CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court.
Way was given a 12-month suspended sentence, in addition to 150 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay Mr Gil £800 in compensation.
El Pais
Mr Gil told Spanish newspaper El País he had been living in Britain for four years when the attack occurred. He said he had never previously experienced prejudice.
He said he had been in a pub with a group of friends before he walked outside with a woman, called Silvia, at about 5am.
Mr.Gil told El País that Way “came at us from the other side, screaming ‘you f***ing Spanish, speak English’, and I faced up to him a bit.
“Silvia told me to let it go. And then… well, you see it in the video: he pretends to leave, gets the stick… and takes good aim,” Mr Gil said.
Mr Gil’s face was swollen for a week, especially around the jaw, but he did not suffer.