Dubai: The UAE Consul General in Los Angeles has issued a series of cautionary tweets on Sunday, warning Emiratis against any verbal and physical harassment they may encounter.
In the wake of the US elections, reports of agression against members of the public have been on the rise.
Abdullah Al Saboosi, UAE Consul General, urged Emiratis living in the US to exercise caution and to avoid situations that are likely to provoke violence.
Al Saboosi's first Tweet about the violent protests, which erupted across the US, following Donald Trump’s victory in the recent presidential election, said: “We call upon all Emiratis to evade certain areas that are likely to be violent and [situations] that are likely to involve arrests.”
He then addressed the issue of harassment and aggression, as Al Saboosi then tweeted: “Maintain your calm when dealing with harassment that stems from xenophobia and racism. Turn away and notify officials immediately.”
“Verbal and physical abuse, and the harassment of foreigners, have increased significantly in the last few days. Don’t lose your life or your future when confronted with controversy.”
الاعتداءات اللفظية والبدنية والتحرش بالأجانب، ازدادت بشكل ملحوظ خلال الأيام الأخيرة فلا تخسر حياتك او مستقبلك في جدال عقيم مع جاهل
— abdulla alsaboosi (@abdullauae) November 13, 2016
The last few days have witnessed street demonstrations in Los Angeles and other cities following Trump’s election, with protesters denouncing the Republican’s views on issues such as immigration.
About 200 people were arrested Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles, according to LA Police.
Of the 742,000 people across the country protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme - an initiative by President Obama that protects immigrants brought to the US illegally as children – about 200,000 are in Los Angeles County, according to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
