Group of people racially abuse Aussie senator
Friday, 10 November 2017
MELBOURNE, Nov 09 (BBC): An Australian senator has criticised "the rise of the radical right" after he was racially abused by a group of men at a pub in Melbourne.
Senator Sam Dastyari, who was born in Iran, was harassed with taunts calling him a "terrorist" and "little monkey" during the confrontation on Wednesday.
The incident was filmed and posted on the Facebook page of a group describing themselves as "concerned patriots".
Ms Dastyari says he is considering a legal response to the incident.
In the footage, the senator is surrounded at a bar and told by one man to "go back to Iran, you terrorist", among other taunts.
Mr Dastyari says: "I think you guys are a bunch of racists. You are embarrassing yourself."
Footage taken later shows the men standing over Mr Dastyari as he is seated with friends, who step in to help the senator.