August 12th 2024.
A teenage boy from Liverpool was on his way to work early one Thursday morning when he encountered a terrifying and hateful situation. As he headed to the train station, a man on a bike began following him and shouting racist insults. The boy quickly became wary of the situation and called his parents for help. He explained to Metro, "I felt scared being approached by this stranger and after the things he said to me, I knew he wasn't judging me based on my religion, but simply the color of my skin."
Thankfully, the boy's father came to his rescue, but by that time, the man had disappeared. However, he reappeared later on the same day, this time standing on the side of the road with his bike, pointing "gun fingers" at passing cars. When the boy's father confronted him, the man went on a disturbing rant, threatening to burn the Muslim boy and all others like him. He even went as far as smashing the windows of the father's car with his bike before driving off.
Chantelle Lunt, the boy's mother and a Labour councillor, shared her thoughts on the incident with Metro. She explained that for the past week, "most black and brown parents have been on high alert." She also mentioned that just the night before, she and around 25,000 others had joined anti-fascist demonstrations across the UK to stand against the week of racist riots that had been taking place. The Lunt family had been cautious about letting their children out due to the violence, but after the successful protest, they felt more at ease. Unfortunately, that peace was shattered when the man targeted her son.
Chantelle's son expressed his frustration and fear, stating, "Recently, it's just felt like I've had to have my dad taking me to train stations and stuff." He also mentioned feeling a separation from the community that he never felt before. His mother added, "It's not the first time we've suspected that someone's coming near our home. We've had air let out of our tyres." The family has since taken extra precautions to ensure their safety, including installing security cameras at their home.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the costs of security and car repairs, and the community has come together to support the Lunt family. Patsy Stevenson, a well-known activist, set up the fundraiser and shared, "Nobody should have to deal with this kind of disgusting behavior, but Chantelle deserves the world." The police are currently investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made yet. Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan stated, "Hate crime will never be tolerated on Merseyside, and we understand the distress and upset that being targeted in this way causes." The Lunt family hopes that by speaking out and raising awareness, they can prevent this from happening to anyone else.
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