Racism at High School Football Game

On September 29, the rivalry at a football game between Riverview High School and Moncton High School led to racism against Syrian students from Moncton High. What should have been a time to showcase school spirit and cheer for friends turned out to be a time for some students to exhibit violence and racism. Moiad Alhamoud, a Syrian Refugee who attends Moncton High, his younger brother, and two of their friends were the main targets of the hate and cruelty at the game.

“All of us from Syria came to support the boys from Moncton High,” said Moiad Alhamoud.

The boys arrived at the game to cheer for their classmates, but did not get the chance to do much cheering before they were told by several students from Riverview High, seated behind them, to sit down, even though everyone else was standing. When the boys did not sit down, they were pushed and their clothing was pulled.

“If we sat we weren’t going to be able to watch the game. They started to push me from behind and tried to pull on my pants.”

The Riverview students quickly resorted to verbal and physical violence, swearing and throwing bottles at Alhamoud and his friends. They told the boys that they should leave the game, but soon progressed to telling them that they should leave Canada all together. Mhairi Agnew, a classmate of Moiad Alhamoud, said that “It was so heartbreaking and devastating. I was disgusted and I was so angry that I became really upset and I was on the brink of tears.”

When other students of Moncton High became aware of what was going on, they started a cheer. “Everyone from Moncton was yelling as loud as we could, ‘Don’t be racist!’ Like chanting it and it was pretty powerful,” said Agnew.

“I was really happy. I just focused on the people who were really good to me,” said Moiad Alhamoud.

Even after the hateful display, the Syrian boys still had nice things to say about Canada. “We love Canadian people,” said Alhamoud.

The Moncton students worked together to prove a serious point when they stood up for their fellow classmates: good overrules evil. They demonstrated the power of people who stand together and do what is right. They were inclusive and respected people’s differences. That is what being Canadian is about.