Taxi drivers in Tasmania went on strike and rallied in protest in response to what they saw as a series of violent incidents and crimes committed by young people.
A video posted online by the Hobart Taxi Drivers Association showed a young man confronting taxi drivers and attempting to use them, accompanied by racist verbal abuse.
The video also shows the taxi's windshield cracked, mirrors shattered, and scratches.
The association's chairman, Li Max Joy, said the problem of youth crime has been a problem in Tasmania for many years. "This phenomenon that we think encourages other people to commit crimes, and there are a lot of crimes against taxi drivers," he said. ”
"Non-payment is common. ”
"There are people who jump on the front of the car and smash the windshield, do it to the taxi driver, or don't pay the fare. ”
Why are taxi drivers on strike?
Taxi drivers went on strike in Hobart from 7am to 7pm on Monday and held a peaceful rally in the city.
They called on the government to develop strategies and laws to make their workplaces safer, including increased police patrols at taxi queues.
Joey said the association initially focused on Hobart, but also on events in other areas.
While not all of the attacks were racially motivated, he said, most of the drivers were immigrants or came from multicultural or linguistic backgrounds.
"I'm not saying it's all racist," he said...... But most of the workers come from multicultural backgrounds. ”
Is the crime rate among young people in Tasmania on the rise?
Tasmanian Police chief Jason Elmer confirmed that on Wednesday, April 24, taxi drivers had a verbal altercation with young people, resulting in damage to the taxi.
Speaking to the media on Monday, he said: "It has been reported that some of the weapons were made by these young men, including a knife. ”
"The chaos resulted in damage to at least three taxis, including glass and mirrors. ”
He said the investigation was still ongoing and the police were working to identify the young men and hold them accountable.
Asked if there had been an increase in attacks against taxi drivers, Elmer said "only a few" had been reported in recent months, but said there may be more that have gone unreported.
"From the reports we have received from taxi drivers in the past few months, there have only been a few reports related to such incidents," he said. ”
"That's not to say that some incidents may not have been reported to the police. I encourage victims of any such crimes, especially those involved in violence, to come forward so that we can investigate the matter thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable. ”
Elmer noted that youth crime has been a problem "for some time", adding that "a small number of young people" have led to "a large number of violations".
Tasmanian Police is tackling this issue by setting up a crime intervention area for young people, which aims to keep young people from committing crimes as much as possible.
At the same time, the police have also increased patrols in places frequented by young people, such as shopping malls.
"Insults" happen almost every day
Community advocate and lawyer Mala Crew said she has noticed an increase in racially motivated violence in her community in recent years.
Crewe, who is of Indian descent, said she had been verbally abused on the street and had witnessed others have had worse experiences.
"Almost every day, taxi drivers and Metro Transport drivers are subjected to racial abuse. ”
"Supermarkets and other small businesses run by Indians, Nepalese and Pakistanis often have windows smashed or people entering and disrupting them," she said...... Shop owners and employees were also beaten. The situation is really bad. ”
Crewe has written a petition that she hopes will be submitted to parliament after the drivers' strike and protests are over.
She said young perpetrators should receive educational programs and relevant mentoring, rather than just being given "light punishment."
She also called for targeted anti-racism education to be included in school curricula.
"We call on the Government to give serious consideration to legislative changes and policy reforms when legislating. ”
"These kids go to court and then walk away with only minor punishment, and we can actually get them involved in some programs that have to be mandatory education and mentoring programs. ”
"We need help, we need help from the government, we need to change legislation, we need policy reforms. ”