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Bristol Green Party is urging people to sign a petition calling on National Express to “launch a full investigation into the allegations of racist behaviour on a Bristol to London National Express coach… and then publish the results to the general public”, following reports in the Bristol Post that Ibrahim Mohamed Ismail had been asked to leave a coach, seemingly for islamophobic reasons.
Speaking during a visit by Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, Green Party candidate for Bristol Mayor Tony Dyer said, “Bristol is famous for the actions it took against a previous example of discrimination involving bus services, actions which are commemorated by a plaque in the very same bus station where the incidents reported in the press took place. This evening I will be attending the annual International Human Rights Day celebration organised by Bristol Refugee Rights, to hear how we can support refugees fleeing war, poverty and oppression. As I understand it from the Post, Mr Ismail originally came to Britain 15 years ago as a Somalian refugee. As a self-professed City of Sanctuary, it is vital that we ask National Express to take this issue seriously and undertake a thorough investigation”.
Leader of Bristol Greens, Ani Stafford-Townsend, added, “as this incident took place in Cabot ward, for which I am a Councillor, I will be setting up a meeting with the Bristol Manager of National Express to discuss the issue. It seems Mr Ismail is owed an apology, and it may be that National Express needs to invest in training that will better equip its staff to handle sensitive situations like this.”