Reflecting On The Manchester Airport Assault
A story of unchecked racism, a hurting lady and her outraged sons
Read for free here.
Yesterday, I came across a 14 minute clip of the press conference by the Amaaz family, presented by their lawyer.
It had been a while I’d thought about this case. I remember sitting in India, when I first came across the news report. I remember scrolling the internet and seeing the words ‘Manchester Airport’ popping up everywhere. My city? I wondered uneasily. What happened there?
I knew something had gone horribly wrong, but no amount of preparation could have prepared me for the video. The young man lying on the ground, his head against the floor. The aunty in her salwar, her slippers strewn as she knelt besides him, desperately trying to pull him away. The police officer, standing tall. I remember clenching my eyes tight after the young man lying on the floor got the first kick to the face, unable to watch anymore. But the video continued, and my eyes were not clenched tight enough. I watched in horror as the boot of that police officer slammed in to the head of this young man, stamping his head intot the cold hard floor.
I sat there dazed for a bit that day.
