It’s not easy facing a bully, but what do you do when you’re confronted with a whole mob of them?
During President Donald Trump’s visit to London last week, a crowd of his supporters and anti-Muslim protesters rallied in central London.
The protesters fixated their attention on a bus driven by a headscarf-wearing woman. The mob held up Islamophobic and pro-Trump signs, some shouted racial epithets, and a topless man ran up to the windshield and began verbally assaulting the driver.
It’s hard to imagine what to do when you’re targeted in a heated situation like that, but one inspiring photo showed the woman’s powerful response: a smile.
The photo went viral in admiration of how she remained so calm, collected, and unfazed by the mob of protesters.
However, some people disagree with celebrating the bus driver’s calmness. In their opinion, fascists and racists shouldn’t be afforded civility.
Acts of racism like this are increasing at an alarming rate — particularly in the U.K.
In the United Kingdom, the Muslim and South Asian communities are often targeted by the English Defense League — a white supremacist organization — and far-right politicians. In June 2017, two Muslim cousins were attacked with acid in a hate crime. In October 2017, the U.K. Home Office released a report revealing a 29% increase in hate crimes compared with the previous year. Furthermore, out of all the hate crimes between 2016 and 2017, 78% were racially motivated.
But the headscarf-wearing woman is setting an example and offering us a glimpse of hope. She kept doing her job and refused to be baited by their hate. Despite the racist protests and scare tactics used, we still know that we’re on the right side of history.
