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A Black woman says she was racially abused while riding on the Tube in London, Metro reports.
The alleged incident unfolded while Selma Taha and her friends were traveling from Camden Town to King's Cross.
Taha said they asked a woman to move her suitcase after she almost hit them with it. The woman allegedly responded that she "doesn’t like Black women" and ‘it’s not my fault you’re lesser than me."
An altercation ensued during which Taha said the woman bit her and ripped out a clump of her hair. An off-duty officer who was present for the alleged incident "shouted" at Taha's friend to "take her hands off the woman, calm down and be quiet," according to reports.
"But my friend told him the woman still had her hands in her hair," Taha said.
"The woman then started taking out clumps of her real hair; it was everywhere. Then she went for my hair. She bit me through my clothes. I could feel burning and was screaming 'She’s biting me.' I thought she would actually come away with flesh in her mouth."
At one point during the alleged incident, Taha said she and her friends were called slaves and monkey noises were directed at them.
Taha claimed she and her friends didn't know the off-duty officer was aboard the Tube until they got off at King’s Cross station.
"I was livid, I was furious at him. I was screaming at him and swearing, saying: 'You let this happen… it’s because of you I was attacked,'" Taha recalled.
The alleged attacker, who has been identified as a 30-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of assault and a racially aggravated public order offense. She has since been bailed out while the Met Police and British Transport Police continue to investigate the incident.
Dr. Wanda Wyporska, CEO of the Black Equity Organisation, condemned the alleged attacker's behavior in a statement to Metro.
"Once again, we face the reality for Black people in this country. To see the impact of everyday racism and alleged abuse of another Black woman for just traveling on public transport is distressing and disheartening," Wyporska said. "Unfortunately, this type of behavior and attack is becoming endemic and as a country, we need to redouble our commitment to challenging and eradicating such behavior.
"We stand with Selma Taha and all victims of such racist behavior and call for swift action to deal with the perpetrators of such actions," she added.
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