Alleged attack on Vancouver bus against Brazilian teen for “speaking Portuguese”

The recorded events, which according to NEWS 1130 Reporter Lauren Boothby, shows one woman wearing what looks to be swimsuit top and sports pants.

In Boothby’s Twitter thread, she clarifies that the women were not actually from Portugal, but rather from the world’s largest Portuguese-speaking country, Brazil. “Before she got off the bus, I heard her tell the woman she was with, ‘I’m going to grab her by the hair and throw her off the fucking bus.’” said Boothby.

Alessandra Ribeiro, 17, appears to have been struck in the face by the woman’s backpack. The alleged victims of the attack were 15 and 17 years old, respectively.

“She used it as an excuse, I think, to cover for the fact that she was bothered that we were speaking Portuguese,” Ribeiro said to Boothby after the incident.

“I feel very humiliated and awful. I also feel like crying but I won’t,” she said.

Jagmeet condemns attack

The video got the attention of at least one federal leader; Jagmeet Singh, MP of the Vancouver-area Burnaby South riding.

“This is horrible,” said Singh in his tweeted response. “Whether you live here or are just visiting, no one should be assaulted – or mocked – for speaking a language other than English in public.”

Many of the replies criticize Singh for commenting on the story before all the facts were released, some stating that this only showed “one side of the story.”

Others in the comments agreed, thanking Jagmeet for calling out the language-based attack.

The woman’s identity is still unknown.