Melbourne Art Teacher Apologises After Telling Chinese-Australian Couple to "Go Back to China" in Car Park Row
A Chinese-Australian couple in the Hawthorn suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, were subjected to a racist tirade in a car park on November 11, when another driver repeatedly shouted "go back to China" at them. The confrontation was filmed and spread widely online. The woman involved, children's art teacher Alice Krause, apologised publicly on November 13, calling her own words "cruel and degrading" and taking full responsibility.
According to 7NEWS Australia, the couple, who have lived in Australia for almost 30 years and are Australian citizens, were driving along a four-lane road at about 12:30 p.m. on November 11 when a merging dispute broke out with Krause. She then followed them into the car park of the Bunnings home-improvement store in Hawthorn, blocked their car as they tried to reverse into a space, banged on the passenger-side window, and then shouted at the driver, "that's not how you drive in this country," along with repeated abuse including "go back to China." The couple's son, Daniel Chen of Kew, posted the footage online, where it drew hundreds of thousands of views, and Krause was quickly identified.
Krause, herself an immigrant, told 7NEWS on November 13 that she is not a racist, while acknowledging that her words and actions were "extremely threatening and racist." In a separate statement on her business website, she apologised without reservation: "Saying 'go back to China' is cruel and degrading. I was completely wrong. I am truly sorry, and I take full responsibility." Daniel Chen said the family has reported the incident to police and plans to make a formal statement in the coming days. Monique Ryan, the federal independent MP for Kooyong, which covers Hawthorn, has publicly backed the family.
The incident comes as Melbourne's Chinese community is already anxious following the November 6 killing of Chinese food-delivery rider Feng Jianming in the city centre, and community members say the video has deepened unease among Asian-Australian residents.
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(Source: 7NEWS Australia)
Source: 7NEWS Australia
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：澳大利亚 Bunnings 家居连锁门店（资料图，非事发门店）。照片：Bidgee 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A Bunnings home-improvement store in Australia (file photo, not the store involved). Photo by Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
