Recent events at a high school football game are causing a stir in Moncton, where Syrian students became the target of racist insults from some people in the stands.
“We cheer as loud as we can, and then they threw stuff at us, and they told the Syrians, 'You're not welcome here, you should go back to their country,’” says Moncton High School student Abdel Rahman Helal, who is friends with the Syrian students.
Helal was among those in the stands at the game between Moncton High School and Riverview High School on Sept. 29.
Students who spoke with CTV News say fans from opposing schools are usually seated on different sides of the bleachers, but they weren't at that game, which may have led to more aggressive behaviour.
Helal and the group of Syrian students say the incident hurt, and that they wanted to leave the game until many in the crowd started chanting, ‘Don’t be racist.’
Education liaison for the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area, Daniela Fernandez, says she thinks the newcomers and their supporters handled the situation very well.
“It was a minority of students who were involved in the incident and we're happy to see there was a large group of students who created a more positive reaction in the crowd and support the students who were being harassed and bullied,” Fernandez says.
Fernandez says it’s important for students to show newcomers their support.
“It's the peers who need to initiate that kind of support and reach out to the newcomer students and bring them in,” she says.
The school district says the students who allegedly made the comments have been identified, and have been dealt with appropriately.
A joint statement from Riverview High School and Moncton High School says students found to have made racist comments at the football game were suspended.
The release also adds that some of the culprits were not students at any school and have been banned from future-related events.
The statement says staff have started a conversation about inclusivity and kindness and encourage that discussion to continue at home.
Superintendent Gregg Ingersoll says the schools' respective principals separated fans at the game, but likely won't increase supervision at other sporting events in the future.
“There's no way we'd ever condone that kind of behaviour from any of our students at any kind of event, whether it's in school or outside of school,” Ingersoll says.
Helal says he and his friends have gone back to watch other football games without any further problems.
“They didn't accept them being racist to the Syrians,” he says. “They're trying to forget about it and just enjoy their life in Canada. They love it here and they just want to forget this happened.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke.
