‘If I wear a mask I will have an asthma attack’: Man charged for anti-Asian racist tirade caught on camera in T&T supermarket
Ahmar KhanYahoo News CanadaJuly 9, 2020
A 48-year-old Mississauga man has been charged for a racist tirade caught on camera in Mississauga, Ont. on Sunday, July 5 which went viral after a white, non-mask wearing man berated staff at T&T Supermarket who told him he couldn’t shop at the store without a face covering.
“If I wear a mask I will have an asthma attack and these communists are attacking all of us…go back to China and take your coronavirus with you,” said a man in a racist tirade filmed by a bystander.
Peel Regional Police say John McCash turned himself into police on July 16 and was charged with causing a disturbance. McCash is set to appear in front of the Ontario Court of Justice on September 25, 2020.
“Hate-crime incidents have a negative impact on our community and create a ripple effect. It can increase feelings of vulnerability, anxiety and fear, not only on the individual who has directly been victimized, but also to the community at large. Reporting incident of hate-crime is essential to stopping these incidents; we are dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all we serve,” said Chief Nishan Duraiappah.
The video was uploaded to YouTube and has been viewed almost over 280,000 times and was filmed at the predominantly Chinese-operated supermarket. It starts with a white man with his wife near him dumping grocery products from a bag on the floor while telling staff he “will never come back here again.”
The man then goes on to threaten the staff that he’ll “have the media” here and staff can wear their masks and get sick.
“When you wear the mask, you get sick — it’s science,” he said.