Source: Nigil / @lordnc
Because you should know, on the third day of Russia’s mindless attack on Ukraine, it seems racism and white supremacy has reared its head. The unfortunate hashtag #AfricansinUkraine is trending on social media after multiple videos were tweeted claiming to show discrimination toward Africans in Ukraine who are among legions of humans scrambling for safety. This practice has been observed in China during the pandemic and in many cases where Black people experience themselves in dire straits and seek the same asylum and humane treatment as those around them but do not share their racial makeup.
Twitter user Damilare/VIF @Damilare_arah shared a number of disturbing recordings that showed Nigerians in despair: a woman rocking an infant reported to be just two months old in less than 3 degrees celsius temperature. The caption stated that much of the African community stranded at a Ukrainian border were women and children in desperate need of “aid and hostels.”
#AfricansinUkraine the community of Africans in Ukraine stranded at the boarder much of them women and children. — This is happening now
The lady in the video is holding a 2 month old and it’s 3°c outside we are in search of aid and hostels pic.twitter.com/Ae2Iwn4zpg
— Damilare / ViF (@Damilare_arah) February 26, 2022
The Twitter account asked that people join in retweeting: “Use the hashtag #AfricansinUkraine and mentions @UN @RedCross @UNESCO @wateraid @amnesty @gatesfoundation @FordFoundation @ActionAid @Oxfam”
Business Insider reported the struggle Africans and Black Britons are having as they make attempts to evacuate the war-ridden country.
“Some people have gone to get buses, but they’re not allowing Black people basically onto the buses. They’re prioritizing Ukrainians. That’s what they say,” A woman named Sky told the platform, as she and her fiancé made their way to Poland by car.
Another post is consistent with those reports and is said to show Ukrainian officials denying a group of Africans from boarding a train while preference was given to those who were white Ukrainian citizens.
The official visuals of Ukrainians blocking Africans from getting on trains. #AfricansinUkraine pic.twitter.com/hJYpM3LY0A
— Damilare / ViF (@Damilare_arah) February 26, 2022
A host of other tweets from Nze @Nzekiev showed Africans being threatened with firearms and motor vehicles by Ukrainian military and police:
They actually wanted to crush us with their bus, and even pointed guns at us while we were shouting “we are students, allow us to cross” because we didn’t allow them to cross their people first before us. We forced our way in, and they gave up. I have these on video record.
— Nze (@nzekiev) February 27, 2022
Scores of Twitter followers watched in horror and tweeted their support and denounced racism while others showed skepticism around the videos, denying racism is a factor in what played out but also denying Africans’ lived experience in real time.
Follow @nzekiev
to learn in real time how #AfricansinUkraine are being treated. It is not incidental. There is no democracy and freedom where there is racial hierarchy. Period.— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) February 27, 2022
@CNN @guardian @guardiannews @BBCWorld @nytimes @AlJazeera_World why are you not reporting the racism against blacks at the Ukraine/Poland border?
— Ogochukwu (@ogovoice) February 27, 2022
Is it really closed or are they checking males 18-60 who are Ukraine citizens aren't leaving? And the trains, there was a lot of chaos and I saw in the news a white Ukraine family interviewed, they couldnt find transport and went back home.. is it really about race?
— Mya #EndChildFoodPoverty (@b5tChm) February 27, 2022
You are race baiting in a situation where all adult males were prohibited from exiting Ukraine — not only Africans
— Blazej Dzikowski (@BlazejDzik) February 27, 2022
After a night of unrest, the most updated tweets reported that collective tweeting about #AfricansinUkraine had been effective and that African students and those who were being held at gunpoint at the Poland/Ukrainian border were eventually permitted entry.
Currently at Poland border. Let’s see how it goes. pic.twitter.com/Q3eOvIswmQ
— Nze (@nzekiev) February 27, 2022
According to Business Insider, Ukraine became home to thousands of Africans who now find themselves trying to escape the country, had been seeking medical, engineering, and technical degrees at an affordable tuition. MADAMENOIRE will continue to follow this story and keep you updated—because you should know.
0 Commentaires