Arrest made in hate-motivated incident in Kitchener, Ont. DriveTest centre: Police
Waterloo regional police say an arrest has been made following what they're calling a hate-motivated incident at a Kitchener DriveTest centre on Wednesday.
A video posted to Twitter by Mifrah Abid, a staff member at the Coalition of Muslim Women K-W (CMW), shows Abid confronting a person who she accuses of saying a racist comment.
“I just said don't be rude. I didn't say anything else. We're all waiting in this line. Everybody heard you here making a racist comment about brown people,” Abid said in the video.
Abid is recording the interaction from her phone when the person lunges towards her, grabs the phone out of her hand and throws it back at her.
“Don't [expletive] record me [expletive], it's not my permission. That's not my permission,” the person said.
The person then exits the DriveTest centre on Ottawa Street North as those in the room call out for security to step in.
“I was in a state of shock after being hit...quite literally ...but also shocked that this could happen to me- a vocal, professional advocate against hate, racism and Islamophobia,” Abid said in a tweet posted following the incident.
In an update on Wednesday evening, police said a 27-year-old Waterloo woman has been charged with assault, assault with a weapon and theft under $5,000. She is being held in custody for a bail hearing.
Abid’s employer, CMW, released a statement prior to the arrest condemning the incident and calling on police to hold the person involved accountable.
The statement reads in part: "All of CMW stands with Mifrah, who is reeling from the alleged hate-motivated assault she faced at a public place today. We are here to support Mifra in any way we can. We call on the police to take action immediately, to find the person to hold them accountable. We are hurt and shocked by our staff member coming face to face with such a blatant act of hate in public."
Local politicians are reacting to the video online, including Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, who said on Twitter: “Mifrah, this video is very upsetting. This type of assault is not acceptable anytime, anywhere!”
Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife also took to social media to express her thoughts and said in part “this incident is very upsetting.”
While Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie voiced his support for Abid, writing “You’re very brave and powerful to call out such vile discrimination against you and others that were in that room."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.