Categories: News

Black Man Shoved Off Train By Racist Chelsea Football Fans in Paris [VIDEO]

A video of self-proclaimed “racists” refusing to allow 33-year-old Souleymane S. (pictured) to board a Paris Metro train on Tuesday has authorities struggling to stop what is seen as an increasingly racist culture in the nation and in football.

SEE ALSO: 1-Year-Old Albino Killed For Limbs in Tanzania

In the video, as the French-Mauritanian Souleymane, who was born in Paris, attempts to board a train at the Richelieu-Drouot station, he is met by football fans who are reportedly on their way to a Champions League match.

Moments later, the passengers are seen shoving Souleymane each time he steps aboard the carriage.

And at one point, a large group chants repeatedly, “We’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.”

Transport officers did eventually arrive on the scene, according to reports, but did nothing as they “monitored the situation” for a possible fight.

British expatriate Paul Nolan, who secretly videotaped the incident, called it an “ugly scene” and “very aggressive.”

When asked during an interview why he didn’t report the abuse, Souleymane says that he “lives with racism” and initially thought that filing a complaint would be “pointless.”

“What could I tell my children? That Daddy was shoved around on the Metro, because he is Black?

“That would be pointless.”

Watch the video here:

Officials Reject Racism

Even though the football fans appeared to be British, the public viewing of the video has caused a stir among officials who are especially sensitive to the mistreatment of citizens after the Charlie Hebdo murders in January exposed the poverty and prejudice that first- and- second-generation immigrants face in France.

Therefore, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks implored France to take “urgent” action against further abuses, “Despite advances in legislation and measures to combat intolerance and racism, discrimination and hate speech not only persist in France but are on the rise.”

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron chimed in as well, calling the video “extremely disturbing and very worrying.”

And London’s Metro Police released a statement saying that they are taking the incident “very seriously” and are looking to identify those who were involved in the shameful display.

Football’s Racist Underbelly

Unfortunately, racism in football throughout Europe has become relatively normal.

Last August, the announcement that Carlo Tavecchio would be the Italian Football Federation‘s new president offended many, because he publicly called African footballers “banana eaters.”

And FC Rostov players demanded that coach Igor Gamula step down in November, after he shamelessly rejected adding a Cameroonian player to his roster because he had “enough dark-skinned players; we got six of the things.

And there has been countless more stories of football’s finest being showered with bananas during matches, which is why the football fans reportedly chanting, “Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea,” as they pushed Souleymane off the train got the attention of football club Chelsea FC.

Now, Chelsea FC says they will facilitate police in identifying any fans and then institute a ban against them.

Meanwhile, the backlash of the video has emboldened Souleymane to file an official complaint.

“These people, these English fans, need to be found and punished, and should be locked up,” he added.

“What happened should not go unpunished.”

SEE ALSO: ANC, EFF Fight At President’s Address Exposes Shameful Low of Politics

Abena Agyeman-Fisher

Abena Agyeman-Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of Face2Face Africa. Most recently, she worked for Interactive One as the Senior Editor of NewsOne, she worked for AOL as the News Programming Manager of Black Voices, which later became HuffPo Black Voices, and for the New York Times Company as an Associate Health Editor. Abena, a Spelman College graduate, has been published in Al Jazeera, the Daily Beast, New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger, the Grio, BlackVoices, West Orange Patch, About.com, the Source, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, Jane, and Upscale Magazines. She has interviewed top celebrities, icons, and politicians, such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Civil Rights activist and diplomat Andrew Young, comedian Bill Cosby, Grammy Award-winning singer Jill Scott, actress and singer Queen Latifah, Olympic Gold winner Cullen Jones, international supermodel Alek Wek, and five-division world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather. Most recently, she served as the First Lady’s press reporter during President Barack Obama’s U.S.-Africa Summit, Young African Leaders Institute event, and the 2013 presidential trip to Senegal, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Tanzania. Abena is also a 2015 International Women's Media Foundation Africa Great Lakes Fellow, where she reported on women candidates and Chinese sweatshops in Tanzania for CNN and Refinery29.

Recent Posts

‘It felt really scary’ – 14-year-old Nigerian ballet sensation on learning he’s largely blind in one eye

Anthony Madu, the 14-year-old Nigerian dancer from Lagos who gained admission to a prestigious ballet…

1 day ago

‘I remember the day when 56 dollars would change my life’: Wayne Brady reveals humble beginnings

Actor-host Wayne Brady recently opened up about his early financial struggles in his now thriving…

1 day ago

This 1-year-old loves to greet people at Target, so the store hired him as its youngest employee

Mia Arianna, also known as @mia.ariannaa on TikTok, helped her son become an honorary team…

1 day ago

Postman drives 379 miles at his own expense to deliver lost World War II letters to a family

Alvin Gauthier, a Grand Prairie USPS postman, recently went above and beyond to brighten a…

1 day ago

Maj. Gen. Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed becomes Kenya’s first-ever female air force head

Maj. Gen. Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed is the first female commander of the air force and…

1 day ago

All Benjamin E. Mays High School seniors gain admission to HBCU Morris Brown College in surprise announcement

Benjamin E. Mays High School brought together its 272 senior class members for a meeting…

1 day ago

Meet the formerly incarcerated single mom who has gone viral for passing bar exam on first try

Afrika Owes' emotional response to learning that she had passed the bar exam on her…

1 day ago

New York attorney accused of hiring hitman to kill Zimbabwean ex-wife sentenced

A 49-year-old New York attorney was on April 26 sentenced to 10 years in federal…

1 day ago

Cher, 77, who is dating 38-year-old Alexander Edwards, explains why she dates younger men

During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Wednesday, pop legend Cher opened up…

1 day ago

11-year-old accidentally shot to death by 14-year-old brother with stolen gun

Authorities in Florida said an 11-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by his 14-year-old…

1 day ago

16-year-old Ethiopian Hana Taylor Schlitz breaks sister’s record to become the youngest graduate from TWU

The famous Taylor Schlitz family is making headlines once more as the youngest of the…

2 days ago

Tahra Grant is reportedly the first Black woman to be Chief Comms Officer at a major Hollywood studio

Sony Pictures Entertainment has appointed Tahra Grant as its Chief Communications Officer. She replaces Robert…

2 days ago

How Ashley Fox quit her Wall Street job and built a startup to financially empower those Wall Street would never talk to

Meet Ashley M. Fox, the founder of Empify and the first in her family to…

2 days ago

‘It wasn’t worth it’ – Tyra Banks says the first time she drank alcohol was when she was 50

Tyra Banks, the iconic former host of Dancing With the Stars, has made a delightful…

2 days ago

Brazilian woman who wheeled dead uncle to bank to withdraw his money is being investigated for manslaughter

A Brazilian woman named Érika de Souza, 42, is under investigation for manslaughter after authorities…

2 days ago