Czech tram driver attacks Ukrainian family with xenophobic remarks and violence

This was reported by iDNES.cz.

A video shared online shows the tram driver yelling at a woman and a man holding a child. The incident allegedly occurred because the child was standing on the seat with shoes on.

When the couple refused to leave the tram, the driver hit the man, causing the child to start crying. During the conflict, the driver also told the Ukrainian family that they "have no right to be in this country."

Later, the driver shouted again that the passengers were "dirtying the tram," after which they left the vehicle.

The child's father later commented on the incident for the Vinegret.cz project. He stated that the child was traveling with their grandmother and grandfather.

"My parents were taking the child home, and the driver didn’t like that he was standing on the seat looking out the window, even though my father showed that his shoes were clean and immediately picked him up," the man said. He added that the family had not yet filed a police report but planned to do so.

Prague's municipal transport company published a post apologizing and expressing outrage over the actions of its employee. The company is currently cooperating with the police. Law enforcement officials stated that they had recorded the video of the incident and that it could be considered a violation of civil coexistence rights.

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan reacted to the incident. He emphasized that "whatever preceded this, the driver's aggression cannot be justified, especially in the presence of a small child, not to mention nationalistic disputes."

"The video of the tram incident circulating online is shocking. Seeing a transport company employee eject a passenger with xenophobic remarks and then physically attack him is shocking in itself. But the fact that a small child witnesses this aggression — both verbal and physical — is unforgivable," wrote Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.

• In January, in central Warsaw, a driver attempting to park ran over a Ukrainian woman, then got out of the car and kicked her in the back. The police advised the woman not to report the incident.