Asian man yelled at in Montreal grocery store by woman angry about COVID-19
What began as a regular grocery run became an upsetting ordeal for a Montreal man, who says he was berated by a woman claiming the pandemic happened "because of you Chinese people."
Nuns' Island resident Ken Mak says he and his girlfriend were minding their own business at the checkout of his local grocery store when the woman approached them.
The woman asked if he was Chinese, he said. "So I told her ‘yes’ ... Then, she started asking questions about the pandemic.”
At first, he said, he thought she just wanted information, but then she got more aggressive.
"She started a monologue, and she started taking off her mask and getting closer to me," he said. He took out his phone to start recording.
"It's nothing against you, It’s about all of this 21 months of bull****," the woman was heard saying in the video. "It's because of you Chinese people."
Shortly after the interaction, the woman appeared to be escorted out of the store.
"We are incredibly disheartened and upset by the customer’s disrespectful behaviour," wrote IGA Louise Menard, where the incident took place, in a statement to CTV.
"In such circumstances, we ask the customer to leave our store, as our team did in this instance. Local authorities were contacted to assist in this matter," the statement continued. "At IGA, we denounce all forms of hate. This is never acceptable."
A spokesperson for the Montreal police confirmed with CTV police were called to the scene, and that the women left the store after officers asked her to.
Mak, who moved to Canada 20 years ago, said that he was "shocked" by the encounter, because "Canada is a very accepting country."
Asian Montrealers have long called attention to increased anti-Asian intolerance and insults they say they’ve faced following the arrival of the pandemic. He says he was compelled to shoot and upload the video to show people what it’s like.
"I can show Canada that these things are happening and that it's real, and it needs to stop," he said.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante also condemned the "unacceptable" verbal attack, saying in a message on Twitter that "I denounce this woman's racist remarks."
'SCAPEGOAT OF THE PANDEMIC'
A Montreal police report found hate crimes and incidents against the Asian community saw a spike in 2020. That year, residents held a vigil following attacks in Canada and the United States which some believed were racially motivated.
Anti-Asian racism has existed in Canada since the early years of the country's founding, when Chinese workers were employed to build the Canadian Pacific Railway, according to Winston Chan, board member of National Coalition Against Anti-Asian Racism.
But, he says, ever since the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in China, it's gotten worse.
"Ever since then, Asian people became the scapegoat of this pandemic," he told CTV.
"I anticipate (that) when there are ... restriction measures" due to rising case counts, "it brings out the worst of some people," he said.
Chan says he wants the Quebec Government to do more to denounce prejudice against Asian people, specifically with regards to the COVID-19.
"I think that now is another opportunity for Premier Legault to speak out against anti-Asian racism," he said. That means, he said, telling Quebecers that Asian people "are not to blame" for the pandemic.
Correction
An earlier version of this story included a misquote, wherein the woman was accused of pushing the victim. The quote has been corrected. CTV regrets the error.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.