Author: Claudia Lauer
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP)-Philadelphia transportation officials said a woman was beaten on a train by two teenagers. Just a few hours later, hundreds of people gathered at a rally triggered by the train attack last month.
Two weeks ago, the authorities claimed that they had carried out racially motivated attacks on four Asian high school students, and then organized a rally against Asian American hatred, but SEPTA officials said that it is unclear whether the November 30 attacks were also involved. Because of racial motives. These attacks are the latest in a series of violent attacks on SEPTA vehicles that have raised concerns among community members and city officials about the safety of the city’s public transportation system.
A spokesperson for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority stated that on November 30, a 27-year-old Asian American woman and two teenagers, 12 and 13 years old, had a dispute when they were in Market-Frankford. Line trains collided with each other when bumped.
According to the initial report of the SEPTA police, the three people boarded the train on 15th Street at about 6:40 pm. A few stops later, when the train rushed forward, the boy ran into the woman. The woman pushed them away from her, quarreling broke out, and every teenager slapped her in the face.
The woman told SEPTA police that neither of the two teenagers used racial slander during the quarrel, nor did it threaten her life. The police said her glasses were broken and she suffered minor injuries, including cuts to the lips and possible scratches to the eyes. The woman refused to receive treatment at the SEPTA station.
Soon after, officials found the two teenagers. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the two were charged with simple assault.
In the November 17 attack, a video posted on social media saw four black teenagers insulting three Asian American students. On November 30th, Christina Lu, the fourth Asian American student, gave a speech at a rally against hatred. She stepped in and asked the girls to stop.
The video showed that black teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 banged Lu’s head on the subway door and beat her while lying on the ground. These teenagers were charged with racial intimidation and other assaults.
18-year-old high school student Lu called for unity at the rally, saying that regardless of race or other characteristics, everyone wants “public safety in the city of brotherly love.”
The attack on Lu and other Asian American students was one of the few violent interactions on public transportation, which also prompted the city council committee to hold a joint hearing to address the safety of SEPTA vehicles. SEPTA officials pointed out that they sent a police officer at Olney Station on the Broad Street Line during school hours-the teenagers were boarded here from different high schools.
But as other attacks, including the shooting on a moving train in June, the rape of a woman in front of other passengers in October, attracted international attention, and the attempted rape a few days later at the 69th Street station in Upper Darby In the incident, transport workers from community members called for more measures to be taken across the system to improve safety.
