Muslim woman allegedly assaulted in Hammersmith restaurant

The news website Get West London reports on a suspected hate crime on King Street in Hammersmith on Friday evening, 6 January, where a Muslim woman was allegedly attacked by a diner at a restaurant where she was dining with friends.

The anti-racism group, Stand Up to Racism, revealed details about the incident to the local paper.

The group said the Muslim woman was told by the diner that she was “killing people” and “shouldn’t be here” before he tried to rip off her headscarf.

The alleged attacker then grabbed the victim by the coat and attempted to drag her outside, saying he “wasn’t going to tolerate it” before other customers and the victim’s friends intervened to stop him.

Staff at the restaurant called the police but the attacker ran off before officers arrived.

John Barker, a spokesman for Stand Up to Racism, said: “We regard this as outrageous and intolerable hence the protest. We need to nip this kind of incident locally.

“If it is goes unchallenged this will embolden them and there will be more and more of it.” 

The anti-racism group has organised “a protest vigil” in Lyric Square, Hammersmith on 11 January following the alleged incident. Its community response follows on from a similar vigil held in Chingford last month after another Muslim female victim was assaulted by a man who “dragged her along the pavement” by her headscarf.