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A man dressed in a Donald Trump shirt launched violence against members of the Muslim community gathered in one of the mosques targeted by the Christchurch terrorist attack.
Of the 50 victims killed in the March 15 shootings, more than 40 were at Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave. On Wednesday afternoon, a man dressed in a shirt supporting US President Donald Trump arrived at the mosque and started shouting insults.
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Yasmeenah Safiya, 17, was not there at the time, but a friend who heard about it called her friend in a state of distress, said Yasmeenah, asking if she had heard what had happened.
"She looked like a guy who had just worn a Trump shirt and he was shouting insults."
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An article on the Facebook page of the Muslims of Christchurch and Canterbury indicated that the man was wearing a shirt with the inscription "Trump for New Zealand". A photo showed the man who was standing next to two policemen in Trump's shirt.
The man swore and said that Muslims were terrorists, according to the post. He also told people at the mosque, people who were still mourning the loss of their loved ones, that "we must all leave" New Zealand, the post added.
"He was there for about 15 minutes, he also kicked and tried to damage some of the commemorative items located along Deans Avenue in front of the masjid."
Armed policemen are stationed outside the mosque since the attack. The police were present when the man was shouting abuse, but did not stop him. A spokeswoman said the officers had made the decision not to "potentially aggravate the situation at this important place".
The police were actively looking for this man. He could face a charge of disorderly behavior, the spokeswoman said.
Many people have returned to the mosque since it reopened eight days after the attack, but others have hesitated. A member of the Muslim community, who did not want to be named, said that "racist violence" from a fellow Trump supporter would only make things worse.
For Yasmeenah, the incident was another example of the prejudices and racism present in New Zealand – an event she personally experienced on the day of the attack when a man told her "you should have been shot."
The 17-year-old woman was running late for Friday prayers and was traveling to Masjid Al Noor when she began to receive messages about the shooting. She stopped by a Thai restaurant on Riccarton Rd, just around Deans Ave, and then walked.
"My best friends were all inside, so I tried to get in," she said. The police had already arrived at this location and had prevented her from getting closer.
After waiting in a nearby street, Yasmeenah went to his car. A "sleazy" white man standing near the restaurant muttered something in passing, Yasmeenah said.
"He told me something racist, then I turned around and said" what did you say? "And then he said," You should have been shot too. "
Yasmeenah was in shock. She was already deeply anxious about what had happened and could not believe what she had just heard.
"I did not even think about how I felt at that time, I was more worried about all my relatives in the masjid."
People need to recognize the racism and prejudices that exist in New Zealand, Yasmeenah said.
"I just want New Zealanders to know that racism still exists and that I get frustrated when I'm told that racism is not us because it's been years."
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