Script: When You Witness Harassment
Click image to expand. Source.
Quick one today! We're working an all fronts here: changing paradigms, learning new language, showing up in solidarity. In addition to new ideas, we need practical actions that we can use now—as my friend Brian would say, tools for love.
Here's a step-by-step guide from the French artist Maeril that's been floating around online. As she says below, it's a great method to use in the current anti-Muslim climate—but it could work in any bullying situation.
Maeril says:
Some could say: “Yes but you can use that technique for instances of harassment other than Islamophobic attacks!”, and my reply is: Sure! Please do so, it also works for other “types” of harassment of a lone person in a public space!!
However I’m focusing on protecting Muslims here, as they have been very specific targets lately, and as a French Middle Eastern woman, I wanted to try and do something to raise awareness on how to help when such things happen before our eyes - that way one cannot say they “didn’t know what to do”!
I’d like to insist on two things:
- Do not, in any way, interact with the attacker. You must absolutely ignore them and focus entirely on the person being attacked!
- Please make sure to always respect the wishes of the person you’re helping: whether they want you to leave quickly afterwards, or not! If you’re in a hurry escort them to a place where someone else can take over - call one of their friends, or one of yours, of if they want to, the police. It all depends on how they feel!
Thoughts? Go and do likewise!
Citations:
- Maeril's tumblr
- Extra: This post-Brexit video, 5 Ways to Disrupt Racism (thx, Tara!), recommends filming an incident (presumably if someone else is already standing with the targeted person) and reporting it, which leads to...
- The Southern Poverty Law Center is collecting reports of hate incidents—whether or not they're also reported to law enforcement. Straightforward incident report form here.