Terrifying insight into vile racism

I was also in Weymouth that sunny bank holiday weekend. However, my experience testifies to an altogether different and more disturbing presence in the town that day.

Along with hundreds of other people of conscience, I was keen to hear speakers at the alternative protest opposing the EDL march.

As my wife and I walked quietly along The Esplanade, a man in his car with his young family shouted loudly at us “look at that Muslim t**t”.

The remark was completely unprovoked and, as you can imagine, we were extremely taken aback and upset.

Later that afternoon when the alternative gathering at the Pavilion was over, we began to make our way home through the centre of town.

As we walked through the busy crowds of locals and holidaymakers, we passed a small group of men who looked me directly in the eye and made a gesture of throat-slitting.

I am sad to say I never thought I would see the day when I felt so threatened and vulnerable walking the busy streets of Weymouth in broad daylight. I have never experienced this kind of intolerance in Dorset before.

As I am not in fact Muslim, I can only assume that the hat I was wearing (which I regularly wear) led these individuals to assume that I was, and in itself suggests a frightening degree of ignorance and bigotry.

For my part, this deeply upsetting experience gave me a terrifying, if only momentary, insight into the kind of vile and threatening behaviour which others in this country, who want only to live in peace and support their families, are forced to endure on a regular basis.

Such mindless and racist scaremongering has no place in Weymouth, or anywhere else for that matter, and we as a nation should be deeply ashamed that it is happening on our streets.

It is only through tolerance and understanding that this situation can be overcome.

NAME AND ADDRESS, SUPPLIED