“I don’t want to speak at all because my accent will give me away”
A reporter has described feeling nervous about using her native language in her adopted UK home as a result of the far-right riots which have struck fear into communities around the country.
Karen Johnson, a reporter for Bristol 247, wrote the ramifications of violence in Bristol at the weekend were far-reaching.
She said: “I don’t want to speak in my native language on the bus; I don’t want to speak at all because my accent will give me away; I don’t want to smile at strangers any more.
“The far-right mob need a lesson in globalisation. They need to understand facts about how much immigrants contribute to the UK. We are not stealing anything.
“On Saturday evening, as havoc erupted in Bristol, I read what Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer said. She spoke about uniting against the hatred to make sure those that feel unsafe are supported.
“I appreciate the starting point — that conversation is needed.
“And yet here I am, admitting that I feel unsafe in Bristol. Sadly, there’s little I can do.”
Karen, born in India, went on to set out how even day-to-day tasks were being seen in a new light as a result of the violence.
She said: “I cannot avoid getting to work. I cannot avoid having conversations.
“And I cannot avoid my mind thinking, what if they don’t like me? What if they are one of ‘those’? What if an innocent hi to a stranger causes an angry reaction?
“The violence that started in Castle Park on Saturday did not come from uniting for a cause. It was an organised form of hate and violence against certain communities.
“It was about ending a culture of coexistence — something that is the very essence of Bristol.
“Bristol boasts of being a friendly and welcoming city. As an immigrant, I have truly felt this.
“I felt an instant warmth when I first got off the bus in Bristol. A warmth that can only come from people; a joy that is made up of the energies of those who live here; a sense of calm that is difficult to find everywhere.
“Bristol had that. I say had in the past tense because since Saturday, I have struggled to find that warmth.”
Speculation that further violence could take place on Wednesday prompted thousands of counter protesters on to the streets in towns and cities including Bristol, in a show of defiance to people pushing racist narratives at the weekend.
