According to Korean media SBS, a young Korean married couple who has been studying as international students in Berlin, suffered racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and assault on the subway in Berlin, the capital of Germany.
On the 26th, when they were on the way home by the subway U7 line around midnight, they heard "corona" several times by a group of adult men and women who looked like German citizens in the same compartment.
They showed that they were unpleasant, but this group of Germans kept saying, "Corona, Happy Corona Day, Corona Party." A man from the group asked his wife, "sexy", "have you married?", and he took the action of kissing and licking her hand.
To leave evidence of racial discrimination and sexual harassment, the couple began film footage with their cell phones, and the Germans pushed the Korean couple several times, grabbed their forearms and wrists, and spit out to them to steal their phone.
The subway engineer noticed that a disturbance had occurred, and stoped the subway at Fair Berliner Platz Station and reported it to the police.
The suspect raised the issue that the Korean student couple had called them "racist", and the police officer admonished the Korean couple not to do so. The police said, 'It is not racism to call people as Corona without physical violence.'
The couple asked the police, "Can I accept this as an official position of the German police?", and he said "no". At the time, the police were not even trying to file a case. The couple had to make an emergency consular call to the Korean Embassy in Germany, and only after the embassy spoke to the police, the police decided to file the case.
On the scene, the police handed over the documents to the Korean couple, and there were charges of "insult" and "violence", but no "sexual harassment".
Racial discrimination against Asians due to fears of Covid19 is also spreading in Berlin, and stories of Korean international students and residents who have suffered such racial discrimination are uploaded online every day.
Racism is spreading all around the world, with the excuses of the coronavirus. Not everyone in Germany might be like a group of people, but it's a pity to read these kinds of articles because of some ignorant people.
The German police's response to this incident is absolutely disappointing, and it made me thinking about how I would have reacted if I was in the same situation. I will be so frustrated and scared, and probably I can't deal with the situation that well just like that Korean couple did. I think they responded calmly and very well.
Many Korean students and residents who've been lived in Europe had to give up their lives and return to Korea because of the fear of racial discrimination. It's such sad news and I don't understand why we have to become enemies to each other.
It's time to fight with the virus, not with Asians.
It's the time to questioning and getting angry with your health care system, disinfection system in your country, and openness, and transparency with your government.
If you live in Europe, North America, or Australia and witness racism towards Asians, please help them.
Stay safe.